About Crime and Punishment

Narrator: Mah Parwar

Victim: Mohammad Shafi

Date of the incident: 1992-1996

Location of the incident: Kajsher, Jalalabad, Nangarhar

The nature of war is inherently unjust, unequal, and unfair. In war, one of the most problematic relationships is between crime and punishment. More often than not, people are punished without having committed any crime while those who took part in crimes are never called to account.

This sad fact is clear to almost everyone in Afghanistan and there is no need to consult the books of history to prove this. The destruction of Kabul city and the suffering of its residents are overwhelmingly evident even today, with both victims and perpetrators living side by side in this city formerly praised by kings and emperors for its immense beauty.

The truth is that committing crimes in Afghanistan has been a deeply rewarding endeavor, generally resulting in higher social status and admiration, effectively transforming the war criminal into a hero to be revered.

Committing crimes brings more wealth and prosperity. On the other hand, there are people who have been punished in spite of their innocence. It is a paradox. The ones who kill and create pain and destruction enjoy better, more affluent lives, proudly posing in their mansions full of expensive luxuries. The ones who have committed no crimes live under the bridge, on the streets, or in the ruins of their former homes, their children begging for a piece of bread. There are thousands of such stories, with many more secrets hiding under the broken skin of this decaying city. Each of those secrets tells a part of the “unjust situation”.

One of the most obvious examples of this “unjust situation” is the story of Mohammad Shafi. He is a person who quit his studies due to poverty and was forced to work in order to support his family. One day, he was killed on the way to Jalalabad without any apparent reason. Today, the death of Shafi remains a mystery to his family. What they know is that Shafi had nothing to do with other people’s dirty business. On the contrary, he was busy trying to put food on the table for his family when unknown people took him out of a vehicle on his way to Jalalabad. Shortly after, his dead body was sent home to his family. What crime did Shafi commit? What was he punished for? How long shall these forms of arbitrary punishment continue in the capital of Afghanistan? These are the questions that the people of this city ask themselves day after day.

So far, not one person in power has felt the need to answer these simple questions. In the meantime, crimes continue to go unpunished and the people’s dream for the sun of justice to finally rise are slowly withering away. One thing is certain: Something must be done and the campaign for the promotion of justice in Afghanistan should be accelerated and intensified. The Memory Box project is one small step towards the realization of this dream. It is an attempt to bring the victims of injustice to the center of attention when Afghanistan’s past, present, and future is being discussed. It is a step towards the prevention of further crimes and tragedies.

The Story of Mah Parwar

My name is Mah Parwar and I am 40-years-old. I live in Chehil Sutun, Kabul. Before the war, we used to live in Chardehi. I was 20-years-old when violence broke out. We did not have a good life at that time but it became even worse once my brother was killed.

One day, he told us that he would be going to Jalalabad to fetch spare car parts. Just before he left, we even joked about his trip. My brother loved jokes. We advised him not to go there but he insisted that he had nothing left to sell in his shop. He spent one night with my sister and her family in Waisal Abad and then went on to Jalalabad. We later learned that he was taken out of the car and killed in the Kaj Sher area of Jalalabad. The driver attempted to stop the murderers but failed. It was him who reported the murder of my brother to the 60th Battalion.

It was Eid night and my mother had gone to my uncle’s home. My mother told them that Shafi had gone to Jalalabad. They were soon informed that Shafi had been injured and was brought to the Chardehi mosque. My mother and uncle immediately went there but could not find him. They then went from hospital to hospital and eventually found his dead body in the Ali Abad hospital. I later went to my uncle’s home where I saw the dead body of my brother.