The Story of Mahnaz (daughter-in-law)

Victim’s Name: Bibi Zulaikha

Date of Incident: 1997

Location of the Incident: Cinema Baharistan, Karte Pawan, Kabul

I am Mehnaz. I lost my mother-in-law when I was only 15 and had just gotten married. A rocket hit and destroyed our home in the Baharistan area of Karte Parwan when the Taliban and Mujahideen groups were fighting over Kabul. She was in the yard when the rocket hit close to her and the shrapnel penetrated her skull and injured her brain. She was 45 years old when she was killed. I loved her as she was like a mother to me, always supportive and protective of me. She was brave, kind and was very dear to all of our relatives.

My husband was deeply traumatized after having to collect her body and the scattered pieces of her brain. He suffered a severe shock and has never recovered and regained his normal life. He became short-tempered. He still cannot cope with the loss of his mother or even talk about what happened that day. After her death and the destruction of our home, we escaped to Pakistan and only recently returned to Afghanistan.

I included her remaining objects to the Memory Box to keep her memory alive and I hope that people who visit the Museum rethink their perceptions of war and conflict. The consequences of war are not only limited to the parties fighting one another but it also kills, paralyzes, and weakens all those stuck in its aftermath. My husband is an obvious example. I did not only lose my mother-in-law but also lost my kind and caring husband.