The saddest letter from Afghanistan. April 11th 2015
I wrote to my very good friend N. whom I’ve known for 13 years to ask why she and others in Kabul were not joining the Webinars Women in War organises. This is what she answered in a heart-wrenching mail.
N. I have to add, is brilliant young woman who studied abroad but chose to return to her country whereas she could have stayed in a well-paid job elsewhere.
Afghanistan is very depressing these days, attacks after attacks, peace is in shambles, government doesn’t work, cabinet is not there after a year of election, 31 people are kidnapped by ISIS and government is doing nothing, cases of corruption are coming out, Ghani and Abdullah are fighting, cases of women beaten and attacked are part of this bigger situation. A lot is going on, yet nothing gets done. People are tired Carol. We have no life, our life is dealing with misery from morning to evening. there is no entertainment to help us revive. The only entertainment is talking to friends, who are so rare. Men are never women’s friends. They only want sex from us, from every one of us. If they talk to us, it is cause they think at some point they will get into our pants. If they meet us, they are looking for pleasure. This is a sick society. Women are insecure, trying hard to survive, so hardly trust other women for friendship. Even if you go to a concert you go with the fear of being blown to pieces, so you mostly don’t go. TV is full of news of pain and misery. And on top of that economy is failing people, unemployment is increasing.
I am tired Carol. I want to work, so that I can earn decent livelihood . Trust me if I had money, I would not work nor live in this damned country any more. And when I’m not working, I want to do something that is fun, where I don’t discuss pain, misery, misfortune, failure, rape, all of that.
Our entire life has become pain. I almost don’t want to live anymore, as there is nothing else to life.
I am writing all this, so you get some idea of what we are going through here. In the midst of all this, another opportunity to discuss pain or misery will not attract people (i.e; our webinars) . It would attract some civil society activists who are looking for fame or some recognition, and those mostly don’t speak english. Otherwise they are busy holding press conferences daily, with nothing that comes out of it.
I love your work, but I’m so tired. And I feel others share similar feelings.
Your friend
N
see also “L’assassinat d’une femme Farkhunda“,
and The Lynching of a woman in broad daylight in present-day Kabul
