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 and struggled a lot to provide us 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 his assistant would take over.

One day, after finishing his shift, he returns to his room when a huge explosion occurs and destroyed the entire market. His assistant said that he had been blown away and everything had gone dark and when he returned to the building to look for Rab Khan and his guest in the room, he had found both dead because 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 nine younger siblings and 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 war destroys families and that by killing their breadwinners, it kills the entire family.