We won’t give up on Education

“I have died 22 times” Milad, our fellow at Kabul University, replied as I asked him how was he feeling one day after the attack. Each of us felt the same.

November 2, 2020, an attack on the Kabul University which ended up taking the lives of 22 young souls. It was so painful to see the news and read about it. I couldn’t imagine my fellows and Kabul University drowned in the blood and burned.

My footsteps floating on the water broke the silence of the National Training Center Library. The blood was washed-out of the library and classes one day after the attack, but its odor along with the ashes remained everywhere. All rooms in the whole three flats of the Training Center were destroyed or burned. Shoes, bags, books and pens were fallen in the classes. I was walking on the pieces of glasses. My heart was bleeding for the lost souls who were discussing Development and the Quran in the class of Public Policy and Administration.

Everything in the room was burned, the sofa, computer screen, chairs, telephone, the cup, and the souls. It was blowing my mind. At the time, I was wishing for a miracle to happen, and we could get the lost souls back in the class and learning, but it was an impossible dream. In the darkness of the room, there was tiny sunlight. There was neither peace nor happiness in the room, but I was feeling hope in my heart. We can’t get those lost souls back, but we will bring peace.

We won’t stop education. We won’t give up on our rights. They killed 22 souls and hearts that believed and wanted peace, yet today, a nation believes and hopes for peace. Today, we don't have Rahid and his fellows but there are thousands of Rahids in this country that stay strong. We won’t give up on peace. As Rahid said, “By the peace, I mean that everyone should receive their fundamental rights in every place of this land”. The future will be bright as the view of the sun from the burned window of the class.

National Training Center, Kabul University

November 3, 2020