KABUL (Pajhwok): A young man who lost his leg in an explosion in his childhood is asking the warring sides to embrace peace and says a hero for the Afghan people would be the person who ends the ongoing war and brings peace to the country.
Abdul Ahad Amiri, 24, a resident of Dehsabz district of capital Kabul, lost one of his legs in an explosion 13 years ago. He said that the explosion not only disfigured him but also snatched away his childhood joys. He said the incident took place when he was playing with his peers and when one of his feet hit a landmine.
He sighed and said that he had no fears and pain before the incident happened.
“I faced an incident that is hard for me to explain. My sight turned dark, I could not see anyone, my ears turned deaf… they took me to the hospital… I underwent four surgeries, my leg’s bone was charred, I did not think my leg would be cut, off but one day when I came to senses after an operation, I saw they had cut my leg,” he said.
With a limp in his throat, Amiri said, “I cried in silence for years over my cut off leg, and cursed those who
made me disabled without a crime.”
He leaned lessons on chair, “I would feel that I have lost my life”.” He said that the ongoing war in the country was the main factor of all miseries people faced and many children like him had met the same fate.
The ongoing four-decade old war in Afghanistan has disabled many children and people, it has killed a large number of people and still taking lives, he said.
The war in Afghanistan has entered its 43rd year. Some sources estimate human casualties to a million people while some others believe the casualties are two million. The ongoing war has also forced millions of Afghans to leave their country. Around 4.4 million people or 13.9 percent of the total population of the country are disabled and more than half of the country’s population is suffering from poverty.
Amiri talked about the bad consequences of war and hoped that no other Afghans would fall victim to the conflict.
“It was war when I was enjoying the moments of childhood, now when I hear news about bombs and war, I feel like I am killed over and over again,” he said.
While cleaning his tears he said, that after his leg was cut off, it was replaced with a stick he should always carry with himself like his friend.
Amiri said he could not share his pain with his walking stick and neither could he stop people from
abusive behavior due to his disability. “But when I grew up, I understood what life is. It is like continued swimming in the water of life”
He said it were his hopes that helped him find his way to Kabul University, earning bread for his family and he is also a member of a swimming team.
“Some people would say that sports empower the morale for life, which was the reason I joined a swimming team besides pursuing my university, I also exercise boxing and was able to defeat many people who were not even disabled,” Amiri said.
Living with his ailing mother and father, three sisters and two minor brothers, he said, “I am the only caretaker of my family, I had a booth which I used for earning for my family, but mayor removed it under Citizen Charter program, now I have no any outdoor activity, but I weave carpets in my home.”
He said that Afghans needed peace for solution of their security, political and economic problems. He said that if peace came, it would help not only him, but also all Afghans to have a good life.
Amiri said that anyone who comes to power should work for the unity of Afghans and prioritize
national interests over their personal interests, so it would help Afghans who suffered four decades of war to have a prosperous life.
He asked the government to work honestly for peace and take care of people with disabilities and people with unique skills who could bring pride to the country.
He urged warring sides to embrace peace and said, “The hero for the Afghan people at the current time is the one who can bring peace to the country.”
His demand for peace comes amid intensified violence across the country that claims lives of many Afghans on a daily basis and has forced thousands of families to leave their areas and displace to other locations.
After the US-Taliban deal in Doha last year, intra-Afghan negotiations only agreed on the procedural rules of talks during eight months after the agreement, but the talks have been deadlocked.
A UN-led conference on the Afghan peace which was proposed by the US was expected on April 24 in Turkey, but the Taliban announced that they would not attend any conference on Afghan peace process until all foreign forces leave Afghanistan
However, the US announced that its forces would be fully withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11, beyond the May 1 deadline agreed with the Taliban in Doha deal.
Mds/ma
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