“Religion does not require women to veil their hands, feet and faces or enjoin any special type of veil. Tribal custom must not impose itself on the free will of the individual.”

Amanullah Khan
King of Afghanistan (1919-1929),
known as the “reform” king.

“We will not be a pawn in someone else’s game, we will always be Afghanistan!”

Ahmad Shah Masood
Prominent Afghan Commander,
fought against the Russians.

“Whatever countries I conquer in the world, I would never forget your beautiful gardens. When I remember the summits of your beautiful mountains, I forget the greatness of the Delhi throne.”

Ahmad Shah Durrani
Founder of the Afghan Empire, (1747-1773).
Many Afghan historians consider Ahmad Shah as the
true founder of modern Afghanistan.

“Once Europe existed in a Dark Age and Islam carried the torch of learning. Now we Muslims live in a Dark age.”

Mahmud Tarzi
Afghan Intellectual,
advisor to King Amanullah Khan
(1865-1933)

They made me invisible, shrouded and non-being
A shadow, no existence, made silent and unseeing
Denied of freedom, confined to my cage
Tell me how to handle my anger and my rage?
– Zieba Shorish-Shamley, from  “Look into my World”  published on the 50^th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

“When we are together, everyone here is talking about how the Taliban has destroyed our lives.  They won’t let us go to school because they want us to be illiterate like them.”
– Nasima, 35-year-old Kabul resident

If you are wounded and left alone
on Afganistan’s plains
and the women come out to cut up what remains
roll over on to your rifle
and blow out your brains
and go to your Gawd like a soldier
go to your Gawd, go to your Gawd….

Rudyard Kipling, “The Young British Soldier”.