The confessions of an Afghan social work student
by Halina Faqirzada
When the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the United States imposed sanctions that resulted in widespread famine. My father is currently in Afghanistan and he weeps over the phone as he describes the thousands of malnourished children and desperate parents resorting to selling one of their kidneys on the black market in order to put food on the table. According to iAffairs Canada, a well-known online research publication, the US administration deployed more than 85,000 explosives on Afghanistan, resulting in the death and injury of millions, and orphaning thousands of children. Just like the 20-year conflict, innocent lives were ripped from their dreams and aspirations, but this time it’s due to hunger rather than explosives. This was a protracted and agonizing demise.
Despite the ongoing exploitation of our experiences by Hollywood and other institutions through profitable films and literature, inaccurately depicting the identity of oppressors, my people are suffering and bearing the consequences of being born in Afghanistan. Tragically, the implementation of Canadian-funded initiatives in Afghanistan has been prohibited for humanitarian groups, under Section 83.03 of the Criminal Code, which is part of the Canadian anti-terror law. In other words, if I donate to my country in order to keep them from starving to death, I may face terrorism charges. As a future social worker, when contemplating on the two core values of social work: respecting the dignity and worth of all individuals and promoting social justice, I consider their limitations, and my identity within these limitations. This inspired me to pen a poem.
Dear Imperialism,
You trespassed our grounds
Built a bridge from our slaughtered bodies to reach our treasures
Abolished our rights to our own land
Smeared our clothing with the blood of our children
Dressed our souls in cloaks of grief
Monetized our heartache
Obstructed our path to human liberty
Poisoned our systems with your imperialism
Masked your injustices as justice
Changed the definition of Afghan to misfortune
Pervaded our nation with hatred and disunity
Exiled us from our rich lands to your stolen land
Vilified our parents and subjugated them to your servants
Made a mockery out of our faith
Forced begging as our livelihood
Starved us to skeletons
Stole our literacy to embed ignorance
But we should be grateful,
Grateful you allowed us refuge
From your own evil
