WE WERE A FRACTURED LAND IN THE CLAWS OF THE HINDU KUSH MOUNTAINS SCORCHED BY THE FIERY EYES OF THE NORTHERN DESERTS WE WERE A PATHWAY TO EVERYWHERE CARRYING GOODS FROM EAST TO WEST WE WERE A LAND WHOSE PEOPLE WERE ITS GREATEST TREASURE BUT WE WERE AT THE EDGES OF EMPIRES AT WAR WITH EACH OTHER
MIGHTY RULERS CAME CYRUS THE GREAT OF PERSIA THEN ALEXANDER THE GREAT GENGHIS KHAN TAMERLANE AND SO ON AND SO ON THEN THE BRITISH THE RUSSIANS EACH TIME THERE HAS BEEN BLOODSHED AND EACH TIME SURVIVORS AN ENDLESS PATTERN
NOT SO LONG AGO WE KNEW WHAT PEACE FELT LIKE HERE IN KABUL CHILDREN WENT TO SCHOOL WOMEN WENT TO UNIVERSITY ALL THE EMPIRES FORGOT ABOUT US FOR A WHILE AT LEAST BUT IT DID NOT LAST FIRST THERE WAS A COUP DÉTAT THEN AN INVASION THEN A CIVIL WAR
IN THE CHAOS SOME LOOKED TO THOSE WHO PROMISED TO RESTORE ORDER BUT AT GREAT COST WOMEN SHOULD NOT GO OUTSIDE IF A WOMAN SHOWS HERSELF SHE WILL BE CURSED
