When I talk about Afghanistan and the U.S. involvement there I use the first person regardless of the country I'm talking about. I say "we need to send more troops" and I say "we need to make sure our people have clean water" When you (me) are Afghan and you (me) are American, your heart beats twice as fast when there is an IED that explodes, a hotel is bombed, or a village is destroyed. I know people who fight here and people who fight there - for the same cause: To make their nation safe and to make sure their children don't experience the tragedies they, we - me - lived through.
My country is more than a nation of sex-crazed men, bikini clad women and disobedient children. My country is more than a nation of child brides, men in turbans and shrouded women. My countries have a rich history that cannot be summed up in soundbites, you will not know them by watching the evening news or a single documentary. Come with me beyond the burqa. Let's lift the veil on my nations and see who is underneath.
I love the name, the tone, and the spirit of your blog, Mirriam. I look forward to learning from your writings... thanks for adding your voice.
ReplyDeleteThis is so good, Mirriam--so clear and reasoned and heartfelt. People should be hearing your voice now, and your perspective.
ReplyDeleteHave you considered writing for Huffpost or The Nation? (For the former, you could insist that the images correspond to the writing.) For either, you would be adding so much that seems missing from the discussion.
Thanks for writing. I'm subscribing now.