2020: Kabul University & Afghan Journalists
Alongside the corona-virus crisis, other things took place that made the year 2020 more dreadful and tragic, having a bitter impact on people living in Afghanistan, especially students & journalists. From
the start of November 2020, multiple attacks occurred, all at a short
space of time, starting with Kabul university - killing numerous
students, all young and full of ambitions. A few days after the
devastating assassination of a well established & prominent
journalist named Yama Siawash happened.
Seeing
or hearing about the Kabul University attack had upset me a lot -
leaving me in tears twice and then discovering about the murder of such a
young successful and talented journalist saddened me even further. I
was quite fond of his personality - the way he used to conduct himself
as a news anchor and do his job successfully. Moreover, there was
something unique about him that would make him stand out amongst other
journalists and some well-known faces of Afghanistan in general and make
him even more likeable.
 |
| the late Yama Siawash |
Initially, when I came to know about this news, I was shocked and in disbelief - I could not process the reality of the issue - thinking to myself how a journalist or an ordinary citizen of a country can be a target and brutally get killed. I still can't come to terms with it.
I
felt so strong and sad about this incident that I began to do something
as a way of expressing my condolences and an attempt to ensure such an
occurrence does not happen again. This time, I could not just do
nothing!
So, to start with, I wrote a poem in memory of the late
Yama Siawash, which received quite a lot of appreciation from people,
including one or two of his loved ones. Then, I decided to contribute to
an event held for the late journalist to pay my respects and express my
condolences. I was privileged to say a few words to try to do my bit in
making sure such an incident does not reoccur along with reciting a poem in memory of the late deceased.
From then on, I also produced a few other stuff concerning
his family and his sudden/ painful demise. Creating such materials was
out of humanity and my way of showing appreciation & support to my
fellow countryman. Like the poem dedicated to the late Yama Siawash,
these produced content was shown great admiration and received good
enough views.
Shockingly,
the constant killing of great talents & the youth did not end with
Marhoom/late Yama Siawash's horrifying attack. Unfortunately, it prolonged to
more than five deaths - all carried in similar circumstances to each
other and altogether, including Yama Siawash's demise, devastated me
beyond measure as they were all young, ambitious, bright, talented and
above all, innocent. Additionally, they were my countrymen & we
belonged from the same field of study - journalism, making me feel even
more distressed.
Being
a journalist is not a crime. Instead, it is a voice for the oppressed
and a powerful tool to inform the world about ongoing events, extending
the public's knowledge & awareness.
Yet in some countries, the voice of truth & knowledge seems too threatening and thus, gets silenced for eternity.
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| Journalists who died in the year 2020 |
Other forms of attacks also kept taking place in Afghanistan, killing innocent families all together for absolutely no legit reason - making Kabul an even more petrifying place for citizens.
To put it in a nutshell, covid - 19 & the constant attacks back in my homeland made this year profoundly difficult and bitter for me and arguably for many others affected by Corona or the horrifying incidents in Afghanistan. Let's hope 2021 can be a year of happiness - productivity & positivity. 😉
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