SUICIDE BOMBING HITS HOME FOR ME – A FRIEND'S STRUGGLE TO LIVE

By Humaira

Last week in the midst of my very domestic American life -- driving basketball carpools, coordinating cello practice and making runs to Trader Joe’s -- I received news that a suicide bomber had directed an attack on Minister Khalid, the head of intelligence in Afghanistan and a longtime friend of mine. 

The attacker hid the bomb near his genitals where Afghans would never search a person and passed through the minister’s security details undetected. This was the first time I personally knew the victim of a suicide attack. This victim was not just another faceless name, I had seen him laugh, make jokes, and share his hopes and dreams for Afghanistan. 

I had met his mother, his wife, his children and he knew my family. All of sudden what seemed like something that happened to others was real and present in my reality. As I absorbed this terrible news, I felt so hopeless and so sad not just for my friend, but for the people of Afghanistan who suffer losses every day living as they do in a war zone. It’s been their reality for the past 34 years. 

I even felt heartache for the suicide bomber himself who knowingly and willingly hid a bomb in his clothing to blow himself up.

I can’t help but wonder:

Why? What motivates a person and his accomplices to think it is okay to strap on a bomb and kill oneself? Why on earth did I not react more strongly all these years I’ve heard of other attacks and deaths?  Those victims too have mothers,  wives, and children. Have I, along with the rest of our society, decided that as long as a terrorist attack is not on our soil it is not a big deal?

In the nine years I have known Minister Khalid this was the fifth attempt on his life. Perhaps death is part of the job description for an Afghan official and there are so many ways for it to be carried out: car bombs, suicide attacks, bullets at weddings and funerals, and most recently a deathly bomb hidden in a turban.

After hearing news of my friend’s attack, my 10-year-old daughter Sofia sent me an email with the subject line, “FEEL BETTER.” It read, “I hope you feel better about your friend, Mommy. He will get better if you use The Secret.”  By “The Secret, “ she is referring to the use of positive thoughts to manifest your hopes and desires. Today I received news that Minister Khalid is in stable condition, he is speaking and his family is with him.  So, in this holiday season I ask that you to use “The Secret,” by thinking positively, praying, visualizing, or doing whatever is right for you to help my friend recover from this tragedy and the people of Afghanistan find a peaceful future. 

Thank you, and as Sofia would say "Peace out".

Dove

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ARE MUSLIMS BARBARIANS?

By Humaira

Last week over dinner, my 13 year-old daugther Aria asked me if I had heard about the film on Prophet Muhammad and the resulting riots.  Of course I had.  I was reading every bit of news about it.

Usually I kick-off our dinner discussions about current events, but on this subject I’d been silent mostly because I wasn’t sure where I stood on it.  Don’t get me wrong; the film is extremely insulting to Muslims who believe Prophet Muhammad is the messenger of God and the last Prophet sent to humans by God.  Muslims live their lives following the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.  However, Muslim’s reverence of the Prophet by no means justifies violent protests nor the burning of buildings and killing innocent peoples such as Ambassador Stevens. 

So, are Muslims barbarians?

Unfortunately we only hear about the small number of Muslims making the loudest noise and taking the most destructive paths.  We don’t hear about Muslims demonstrating peacefully or the constructive conversations among Muslims that this video triggered.  Until recently, I had not heard that Egyptian activists are taking legal action against Ahmed Abdullah, who burnt the bible during the riots, and more importantly about Libyan protesters who attacked the militant Islamist group believed to be responsible for U.S Ambassador Stevens’ death and ran them out of town. I was brought up understanding Islam as a peaceful religion and Muslims as tolerant citizens of the world.  That’s still true.  Egypt’s grand mufti, Ali Gomaa, recently reminded Muslims that Prophet Muhammad on many occasions was insulted or run out of town for his ideas but the Prophet always endured all personal insults and attacks without retaliation.  Today Muslims around the world should follow the Prophet’s example. 

What is heartening to me is that many Muslims and Islamic leaders around the world are engaging in open discussions about:

• What is Islam’s role in a globalized
• world? 

• What is the role of religion and
• politics? 

• What is free speech? 

• How should Muslims engage in a dialogue
• with non-Muslims and how should they react to blasphemy against Islam?

IslamicPhotoAbst

Thoughtful Muslims are taking lemons and making lemonade.  Qatar has announced that they are investing $450 million in a three-part epic on the life of Prophet Muhammad so people around the world can learn about Islam.   Similarly, Islamic leaders like Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, nephew of Saudi Arabia’s king, denounced extreme reactions and noted that Islam was too strong to warrant such uproar over such matter.

There are 49 Muslim countries summing up to 2.2 billion Muslims living among us today.  As I started digging I was surprised to find out that in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, and many other countries there were only peaceful protests or no public protests at all.

So why do some Muslims start rioting or killing people over a small-minded video?

I found that the biggest and most violent rioting were in countries:

• With autocratic governments where
• freedom of speech is unfathomable and therefore people are convinced that the
• U.S. government endorsed the film.

• Where governments are weak or
• in transition.

• With low literacy rates where uneducated
• people are more easily swayed by militant Muslims.

• Where unemployment is high and
• local populations have a bone to pick with their government without much to
• lose.

• Where a rudimentary understanding
• of true Islam makes subverting its core values easier.

• Where political motive or
• anti-American sentiment fuels reactions against things labeled as “American”.

Pakistan fills this bill very well. The literacy rate in Pakistan is at 46% with a deep anti-American sentiment fueled by extremely conservative Muslims secretly supported by the Pakistani government and secret service ISI.  Although the constitution of Pakistan guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of press, it is well known that journalists who have written about ISI or government corruption turn up dead in a ditch. What is really sad is that violent demonstrations are only hurting the image of Muslims and the highest death tolls are mostly incurred by Muslims. I consider myself a Muslim.  My husband Jim grew up Catholic but nowadays he is agnostic and our two daughters attend a Quaker school. 

You can say we are the modern family showcasing what our world looks like today.  I feel the more we find a common ground and mutual understanding the better our lives will be as we move forward.  After all, don’t all Abrahamic religions fundamentally teach the same thing?

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REPORTING FROM KABUL - HUNGER STRIKE

By Humaira

Yesterday I visited the tent of Afghan parliamentarian Simeen Barakzai who was on her 12th day of hunger strike in protest of the removal of 62 Afghan sitting parliametrians in what is claimed to be an illegal action by the government. She has not eaten or drank for 12 days, her kidneys are failing, she was not able to open her eyes or speak while I was visting her.   

She has been joined by a female parliamentarian and several university students who are also on hunger strike. Now there are four tents in the parking lot of the Ministry of Legal affair. Her husband told me that the government has threatened to forcefully remove them but they will resist . She is the first Afghan to go on a hunger strike for a cause. I was really amazed by the protestor's bravery, Simeen's strenght and all the protestors' devotion to holding the Afghan legal system to a fair and transparent investigation of this case.

Simeen has three small boys, the youngest is two and half years old.  My heart really goes out to her and her family but at the same time she is showing her fellow countrymen to stand up for their rights. Don't just grin and bear it.  I feel it is time for Afghans to speak up for what their right both and to hold their government accountable for violations. 

I do see a silver lining in this very sad situation. Could Afghans have imagined that someone could publicly protest against the government 10 years ago without being executed on the spot? Could we have imagined that a women would be the leading example of self expression and human rights? Could we have imagined that there would be an extensive media coverage of this type of event and that Afghan people would actually join hands to support such a protest? I say "No". Simeen is making history and turning a new page for Afghanistan's history from a post war country to a developing country.

So, as I roam the streets of Kabul and look out at the men, women, and children going about their business, I can't help but think that even sad situations like this is an example of progress in a country like Afghanistan that has been silenced for so long. The Afghan people speaking up and being heard is a step toward Afghans for a civil Afghanistan.

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