Afghanistan – Reflections

Afghanistan – Reflections
Afghanistan is on a heartbreaking journey to stability though the price is often freedom. People showered unimaginable kindness during my travels through a county oversaturated with incredible sights yet overshadowed by decades of war and violence. Despite this troubled past and years spent living under a cloud of fear, stress and uncertainty they rise above to exude a palpable warmth and love on a traveler they have just met. It’s a heartbreaking roller coaster of a country to visit, comparable to nowhere. Crossing through Kabul for the third time on this trip I was able to capture this picture of two men on a motorcycle riding past the former US embassy.

It had been almost two years since the fall of Kabul to US and NATO forces following 2 decades of war. The Taliban government marks this “victory” date with celebration and domestic security is a bit more stable now. Though this is hardly positive respite for all, coming at a high cost for women, who don’t have much to celebrate…no longer able to attend schooling past grade 6, or even visit a park, gym or university. Shortly after my visit – beauty salons were banned. Women are now banned from Band i Amir – Afghanistan’s first national park.

We were caught up in a huge demonstration as a crowd passionately fought the Taliban outside a small shop in Herat. Their offense? Playing music. Locals were fighting the Taliban soldiers in support of their local shop which played music each morning; a place where the community gathered before they went to work, music played softly in the background as neighbors shared a cup of coffee with their friends. I saw two men desperately flee for their lives on a motorbike to escape the crowd of violence which broke out and they will surely be arrested if they ever return to their small shop. Imagine fleeing your business, your source of income, risking your life in a fight for the right to play music. They weren’t fighting for themselves, they could have secretly listened to music on headphones. These men risked their life and livelihood fighting to play music for their community and it completely breaks my heart imagining what changes will come in the next ten years as the world chooses to mostly ignore Afghanistan. A time when the country will fight its most important fight – the struggle to come to terms with a generational and ideological crossroads which will define success or set a path towards failure for future generations.