Sat 23 Jun 2007
This letter was sent out on Thursday June 14, 2007 after a peace prayer by the women of Kandahar in Kandahar. The email has touched people all over the world and I have received many positive words about this great initiative. One group has begun an e-world prayer for peace as a result of this event! I am trully inspired and encouraged to continue to touch the lives of women in different ways and hope that women all over the world can serve as the glue for broken pieces of the world today.
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Dear Friends of Afghanistan -
Greetings from HOT Kandahar! I have not written in ages it seems, but I was very touched and inspired and so I write. Today, for the first time in Kandahar’s history the women of Kandahar organized to hold a special peace prayer at the sacred Shrine of the Prophet (Kherqa Sharif) in Kandahar.
This program was organized by ordinary mothers, sisters and daughters of men who have lost their lives in these unjust times - they have realized that politics, international policies and the current leaders of the country have not been able to calm the situation in their country. They have learned to turn to God to help!
Kherqa Sharif is relatively a small shrine and Afghans believe that the cloak of the Prophet Muhammad is kept here. Every Thursday thousands of women come to pay their respect to the sacred shrine. The women wanted to hold their event at the Shrine because many women would be there anyway - no need to advertise to gather women. Initially the women did not ask the Shrine keepers to allow them in the mosque next to the Shrine so that they could use the loud speaker - but this morning when the women showed up the Mullah’s of the Shrine/Mosque said to the women “you are our sisters and we want you to have a nice prayer - please go to the mosque and hold your prayer there.” WHAT MORE DID WE WANT??? The only condition was “no children allowed” - which we planned on not having at any rate for the sake of spoiling the prayer rugs (no diapers in Kandahar!) -
So, the women eagerly went to the mosque and for the first time in Kandahar’s history women made a presence at a very historic and public mosque and for the first time in history raised their voices through the loudspeaker that reached the open streets around the Shrine for the sake of peace. Many women were in shock and disbelief that they were allowed inside the Mosque!
I am proud of all the women here because inspite of the situation on the ground the women still gathered to show their solidarity and sisterhood in peace. After the event, my staff and I returned back to our office and I asked them what touched them the most about the event and the following are their answers:
“I have never been this happy in my life - today I read the Holy Quran for my brothers in Islam inside a sacred mosque!”
“For the first time in history we have raised our own voices!”
“After the event, I feel like my depression of life has been lifted!”
“Sitting at the mosque and praying with the women gave me courage to become more active. I know now that I too am capable of serving my people and my country!”
“This was the best Mother’s Day gift that I have ever received!” (Today was Mother’s Day in Afghanistan!)
Oh, this was an incredible event! It is indeed amazing what a group of women can do when given the chance. I hope and pray for peace for Kandahar and the rest of the world and hope that our policy makers and decision makers can listen to the cries of so many mothers who so passionately prayed from the bottom of their hearts for peace today in Kandahar. One mother said this while crying out loud “please hold these prayers often so that other mothers would not have to live through what i live through everyday after loosing my beautiful young son so innocently!”
In Peace,
Rangina