I wanted to write about Afghanistan before the Soviet war because that is largely a forgotten period in modern Afghan history.

Zindagi migzara (life goes on)

When I go to Afghanistan, I realize I've been spared, due to a random genetic lottery, by being born to people who had the means to get out. Every time I go to Afghanistan I am haunted by that.

cruelty and benevolence are but shades of the same colour.

All good things in life are fragile and easily lost

sometimes the shifting of rocks is deep, deep below, and it's powerful and scary down there, but that all we feel on the surface is a slight tremor. Only a slight tremor.

yet love can move people to act in unexpected ways and move them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with startling heroism