The Tearful Eyes of a Young Woman

Narrator: Karima

Victim: Hafiz

Date of the incident: 1992-1996

Location of the incident: Kabul City

Karima was very young when her father Hafiz was taken from home. At that time, no one knew what was going on. Suddenly, a number of people with their faces covered entered the house and took Hafiz. They did not even allow Hafiz to change his clothes and put on his shoes. Afterwards, the abductors never contacted Hafiz’s family; they remained in the dark about the reasons for his forced departure. Shortly after, the family came to know that the people who abducted Hafiz were from one of the Mujahidin groups. Hafiz’s only crime had been that he was working for the government. Today, his family still does not know what happened to Hafiz, but he never returned.

After Hafiz’s abduction, his family lived in absolute misery. His only son was forced to work during the early days of his childhood. His son later lost his sanity due to a number of serious psychological problems, while Karima’s mother suffered a heart attack during the time of the Taliban. As the Taliban banned treatment of female patients by male physicians, she later lost her life in the hospital. Karima was a witness to all these painful events.

She is now 30-years-old and never shows any signs of energy and happiness. She cannot stop crying. Karima got used to suffering from her early days. The endless cycle of violent incidents in her life has turned suffering into a routine experience. She does not know what she did to deserve this fate but strongly believes that she has suffered more than anyone else in this world. Are those who ignited the fire of war even thinking of the burned life of Karima? The Memory Box project aims to document stories of people like Karima and make them part of the official history of Afghanistan. The Memory Box project is a window into the lives of victims who tell their stories as they have experienced them. Without making an effort to look at the consequences of war through the lens of the victims, it will be difficult to truly grasp the hidden realities of war. Hence, we need to clean our eyes, look through their lens, and listen to their suffering and countless pains.

The history of Afghanistan has so far been written without the voices of the victims. These voices need to be heard. Stories like the one of Karima reflect but a small part of everything that Afghan victims have endured in recent decades.

The Story of Karima

My name is Karima and I am 30-years-old. I lost my father during the war. I was only 4-years-old when my father disappeared. I cannot remember it in detail. I can recall only that some people with their faces covered broke into our house and took my father away. They did not even let my father change his clothes and put on his shoes. After he disappeared, we did not know what happened to him. My mother searched everywhere but could not find him. We assume that Hizb-e Islami abducted him as they were against those working for the government of the time. I remember it was almost midnight when we heard a knock on our door.

My mother opened it and these masked men came in and took my father still dressed in his pajamas. There were people all over the house including on the roof. After his disappearance, we experienced a great deal of difficulties. My brother, who was in grade six at the time, had to start working to feed us. Soon after, he began to suffer from depression.

Today, he is absolutely mad but still asks for my father. He believes that my father is still alive. Later on, my mother died during the Taliban regime. This was the worst moment of my life (Karima cries). My mother was suffering from heart problems and later had a heart attack.

We took her to different hospitals but there was no female doctor. The Taliban had banned male physicians from treating female patients. As a result, my mother died in Jamhuriat hospital. I cannot forget these terrible moments in my life. Therefore, I hate the Taliban.

Today, I work and feed my family. My sister works as a teacher though she does not have a permanent contract. My sister, my sick brother and I live together. One of my other sisters lives in Mazar-e- Sharif.

I fully support the Memory Box initiative. I want to keep my father’s memory alive. I will not allow for him to be forgotten. Those who have killed my father must know that someone from his family is still alive and thinking of him. This initiative is dedicated to people like my dear father (Karima cries). People are telling me that I had a very handsome and kind father. My relatives told me they saw his Memory Box on TV. I am very pleased to see my father’s memories alive.