Shooting Kabul Read online

  bacha—Means “child” in Pukhto and Farsi. “Bachay” is plural, for “children.”

  badal—Code of blood feuds or revenge in Pukhtunwali.

  burka—Enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic countries.

  chapli kebob—A popular dish among Pukhtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan made from spiced minced beef or lamb, cooked on a large flat griddle.

  charg—Means “chicken” in Pukhto and Persian.

  dastarkhan—Tablecloth laid out on the ground for family meals, which are traditionally eaten on the floor.

  dogh—Drink made of yogurt and water, and can also have cucumber and herbs.

  Farsi—Persian language spoken in Afghanistan (also called Dari).

  ghayrat—Sense of honor and pride in Pukhtunwali.

  Hazara—Persian-speaking group, 9 percent of Afghanistan’s population.

  hofbrau—German brewery, bar, and restaurant.

  imam—Prayer leader of a mosque.

  insha’Allah—Expression meaning “if God wills,” used to suggest that something in the future is uncertain.

  jaan—Means “love” or “dearest” in Pukhto and Persian.

  Jalalabad—City in eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border.

  loya jirga—Pukhto term that means “grand council.” A loya jirga is a political meeting usually used to choose new kings, adopt constitutions, or decide important political matters and disputes.

  kebob—Variety of meat dishes consisting of grilled or broiled meats on a skewer or stick.

  Kabul—Capital of Afghanistan, and largest city in Afghanistan.

  Karakul cap—Hat made from the fleece of the Karakul sheep. Typically worn by Muslim men in Central and South Asia.

  KGB, or Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti—National security umbrella organization of the Soviet Union that also had operations in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion.

  khala—Means “aunt” in Pukhto.

  khutba—Religious sermon given at weekly Friday prayers.

  mantu—Steamed ravioli-type dumplings filled with spiced meat, served with a meat, lentil, and yogurt sauce.

  mashallah—Literally means “Whatever Allah (God) wills.” It is often used on occasions when there is surprise in someone’s good deeds or achievements.

  melmastia—Code of hospitality and protection to every guest in Pukhtunwali.

  mihrab—Niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla—that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca—and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying.

  namus—Concept of family, and particularly the protection of women, in Pukhtunwali.

  Northern Alliance—Military-political umbrella organization created in 1996. The organization united various competing non-Pukhtun Afghan groups to fight the Taliban.

  panah—Concept of asylum in Pukhtunwali.

  Peshawar—Capital of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan.

  Pukhtuns—Largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, composing 42 percent of the population. They speak Pukhto.

  Pukhto—Indo-European language spoken primarily by the Pukhtuns.

  Pukhtunwali—Concept of living, or philosophy, for the Pukhtun people. It is regarded as an honor code and unwritten law.

  pulao—Dish of rice that contains a variety of meats and vegetables.

  qabuli pulao—Fragrant rice pulao made with lamb and covered with candied carrots and raisins.

  Qur’an—Central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe the Holy Qur’an is the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind, and they consider the original Arabic text to be the final revelation of God.

  Taliban—Means “student.” It was a predominately Pukhtun movement that governed Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001.

  Salaam Alaikum—Means “Peace be upon you.” Arabic greeting used by Muslims as well as Arab Christians and Jews.

  surah—A “chapter” of the Holy Qur’an.

  Tajik—Persian-speaking people and the second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, with 27 percent of the population.

  taqueria—Spanish word for a taco shop.

  Uzbek—Persian-speaking ethnic group; 9 percent of Afghanistan’s population.

  Walaikum A’Salaam—Means “and upon you be peace.” The traditional response to “Salaam Alaikum.”

  I DIDN’T WANT TO WRITE THIS BOOK … really, I didn’t. I resisted it for many years. Why? Because it deals with many sensitive and personal issues—9-11, the war on terror, Islam, Afghan culture and politics, coupled with my husband’s family history and escape from Kabul, Afghanistan. But no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, the story kept niggling the back of my mind. So finally, I was compelled to tell it. After much thought I decided to write a fictionalized account of my husband’s story while explaining the complexities and nuances of Afghan culture and politics in a way that could be understood by young and old alike.

  My husband’s father was a professor at Kabul University in the late 1970s. Like Fadi’s father, he too received a PhD in agriculture from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and supplanted a communist puppet government, intellectuals like him were forced to make a decision: join the regime, go to prison and be tortured, or flee the country. Like my husband’s father, Fadi’s father was forced to make a similar decision. Although their escapes occurred at different times and took different routes, both embarked on a perilous journey that brought them to the United States. My husband fled with his parents and younger brother, who, unlike Mariam, was not accidentally left behind. Similarly, both families dealt with the trials and tribulations of adjusting to a new life in the United States. My husband, like Fadi, grew up and adjusted to life in America as a refugee and dealt with new schools, bullies, and discrimination—but both adjusted, made friends, pursued their dreams, and flourished.

  For thousands of years, Afghanistan has been a battleground for outsiders. Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan came with their armies, as did the British and the Soviets. All attempted to conquer and occupy, yet failed. There are lessons to be learned as the United States currently contemplates its role in this war-torn country. It is a land still ravaged by war and ethnic tensions between various groups—Pukhtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, and others. Despite these facts, Afghans remain a strong and proud people.

  Shooting Kabul ends on a hopeful note with the election of President Karzai. By the end of 2001 the Taliban had been forced to the fringes of the country and a new hope had reawakened in the country. Unfortunately, nearly a decade later, the Taliban have surged again. The government in Kabul today, under Karzai, with U.S. backing, continues to emphasize a central government in Kabul while neglecting the rest of the country. This does not bode well for Afghans who want nothing more than the basic necessities—clean water, employment, education, and security. It saddens me that Afghanistan is yet again at a crossroads, with its people caught at the center of indecision and conflict. They are a people with a resilient and long history, desiring peace for their children and respect from the outside world. But I, like others, still have hope—hope that peace, security, and prosperity will come, insha’Allah.

  BOOKS

  Ali, Sharifah Enayat. Afghanistan (Cultures of the World). New York: Benchmark Books, 2006.

  Armstrong, Jennifer. Shattered: Stories of Children and War. New York: Laurel-Leaf, 2003.

  Banting, Erinn. Afghanistan: The Land (Lands, Peoples, and Cultures). New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2003.

  Clements, Andrew. Extra Credit. New York: Atheneum, 2009.

  Ellis, Deborah. The Breadwinner. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2001.

  ———. Mud City. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2004.

  ———. Parvana’s Journey. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2003.

  Mortenson, Greg. Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Journey to Change the World … One Child at a Time (The Young Reader’s Edition). New York: Puffin, 2009.

  O’Brien, Tony, and Mike Sullivan
. Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan. New York: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, 2008.

  Staples, Suzanne Fisher. Under the Persimmon Tree. New York: Square Fish, 2008.

  Weber, Valerie J. I Come from Afghanistan (This Is My Story). Pleasantville, NY: Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2006.

  Whitfield, Susan. National Geographic Countries of the World: Afghanistan. Des Moines: National Geographic Children’s Books, 2008.

  WEBSITES

  CIA World Factbook

  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html

  BBC News Country Profile: Afghanistan

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1162668.stm

  National Geographic

  http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/

  countries/country_afghanistan.html

  Oxfam’s Cool Planet: Afghanistan

  http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/world/afghan/index.htm

  World Atlas

  http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/af.htm

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2010 by Naheed Hasnat

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  Book design by Lizzy Bromley

  Map illustration by Drew Willis

  The text for this book is set in Bembo.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Senzai, N. H.

  Shooting Kabul / N. H. Senzai.

  p. cm.

  “A Paula Wiseman book.”

  Summary: Escaping from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in the summer of 2001, eleven-year-old Fadi and his family immigrate to the San Francisco Bay Area, where Fadi schemes to return to the Pakistani refugee camp where his little sister was accidentally left behind.

  ISBN 978-1-4424-0194-5 (hardcover : alk. paper)

  1. Afghan Americans—California—San Francisco Bay Area—Juvenile fiction.

  a[1. Afghan Americans—Fiction. 2. Refugees—Fiction. 3. Emigration and immigration—Fiction. 4. San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.)—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.S47953Sh 2010

  [Fic]—dc22

  2009041148

  ISBN 978-1-4424-0196-9 (eBook)