The Story of Ezat Mir (brother)

Victim’s Name: Rabb Khan

Date of the Incident: August 7, 2015

Place of the Incident: Sarai Ahmadzai, Shah Shaheed, Kabul

We lost our mother when we were very little. My father was a kind, supportive, and caring man who struggled a lot to provide us with a living and to make us not feel our mother’s absence. Unfortunately, after three years of hard work, his legs were paralyzed. Despite my brother doing all he could for his treatment and taking him to Pakistan with borrowed money, he did not recover and passed away in Pakistan.

My brother Rabb Khan, who was only 16-years-old, had to take over my father’s job as a night guard in Shah Shaheed area to take care of us. He would guard the market from early morning to 1:00pm every day and then his assistant would take over.

One day after finishing his shift, he was returning to his room when a huge explosion occurred and destroyed the entire market. His assistant said that he had been blown away and everything had gone dark. When he returned to the building to look for Rab Khan and his guest in the room, he found both of them dead as the entire building had crumbled into dust.

I felt very sad that night and could not sleep until very late. I only came to know the next day that Rabb Khan had been killed in what was a suicide attack. I felt like the world had ended for me; everything had turned grey and I could not stand on my feet. But I had to stay strong to take care of my nine younger siblings. Since there was no better job out there, I had to continue and replace my late brother in his job. I bore the anger, difficulties, and misbehaviors of others or else my family would go hungry.

My brother was only 22-years-old when he was killed. I added his remaining belongings to the Memory Box to keep his memories alive and to let everyone know that war destroys families and that by killing their breadwinners, it kills the entire family.