Americans who lost members of their families in the 11 September attacks
will arrive in Kabul to meet Afghans whose loved ones were killed by
US
bombs.
The meeting is seen by the grieving Americans as a step towards building
something good out of profoundly shattering events. But they also bring
with
them a message of reconciliation that has provoked apprehension in
the State
Department and among US diplomats in Afghanistan.
[Photo]
Rita Lasar, 70, (R) and Kelly Campbell, 29, both from New York speak
to the
press as an Afghan soldier looks on, shortly after their arrival at
Bagram
International airport, January 15, 2002. Lasar's brother was killed
during
the attack at the World Trade Center in New York when the first plane
hit
the building. (Oleg Popov/Reuters)
The four American visitors will spend eight days in Afghanistan, not
just
meeting families but also learning about the devastation that has befallen
this poorest of poor nations. They will meet Hamid Karzai, the leader
of the
interim Afghan government, as well as Colin Powell, the US Secretary
of
State, who is due to arrive on Thursday. They say they will forcefully
put
across their view that America should now engage in reconstruction
and not
revenge.
The visit has been organized by Global Exchange, a human rights organization
whose founding director, Medea Benjamin, is traveling with the visitors.
He
asked: "The people of the US have shown tremendous compassion for the
families of the victims of 11 September. Shouldn't our hearts and helping
hands also go out to those Afghans who are every bit as innocent as
the
victims of 11 September? Don't we, as citizens of a wealthy nation
that
unleashed deadly force against Afghanistan, have a moral responsibility
to
help the innocent victims?''
The visitors will represent families who suffered in the different attacks
on 11 September. Derrill Bodley, a 56-year-old professor of music,
lost his
daughter Deora on United Airlines flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.
Deora's stepsister Eva Rupp will accompany him. Rita Lasar, 70, a retired
businesswoman, lost her brother Abe Zelmanowitz in the attack on the
World
Trade Center. Kelly Campbell, 29, who co- ordinated environmental campaigns,
lost her brother-in-law Craig Amundson in the Pentagon attack.
Ms Campbell is making the trip on behalf of Craig's widow, Amber Amundson,
who is at home looking after their two small children. Mr Amundson
had a
distinguished career in the US army, but he liked to say that his job
was to
maintain the peace rather than wage war. His widow said: "I have heard
angry
rhetoric by some Americans, including many of our nation's leaders
who
advise a heavy dose of revenge and punishment. To those leaders, I
would
like to make clear that my family and I take no comfort in your words
of
rage. If you choose to respond to this incomprehensible brutality by
perpetuating violence against other innocent human beings, you may
not do so
in the name of justice for my husband."
Ms Rupp, who works in Washington DC at the Department of Commerce, had
been
close to Deora since the age of five. She said: "I am going to Afghanistan
because I hope to build more understanding between Afghans and Americans.''
Mr Bodley, a professor of music at the University of the Pacific at
Stockton, California, composed a piece of piano music which he called
"Steps
to Peace for Deora". He was asked to perform this later at the White
House
and a recording of the piece was presented to President George Bush.
The heroism of Abe Zelmanowitz was praised by the President during a
speech
honoring the victims at the National Cathedral. Mr Zelmanowitz was
on the
27th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center. when it was
hit by
the first plane. He could have escaped, but he chose instead to stay
with
his friend, a quadriplegic who could not have fled. His sister Rita
said: "I
am sure Abe would have wanted me to come. He always believed it is
our duty
to help those in need."
The first family the visitors will meet will be the Amiris at their
tiny,
cramped flat at the Old Makroyan suburb of Kabul. Abdul Basir and Shakila
lost their five-year-old daughter, Nazila, during an American air strike
on
the morning of 17 October. She was playing with her younger brother
and
sister in a building 20 yards from their home when it was hit by a
bomb. The
pilots may have been trying to blast an army base a mile away. The
Amiris do
not know, no one has bothered to explain to them what went wrong. All
their
savings went on the funeral, they now live hand to mouth, facing eviction
because of unpaid rent. "I am very glad the Americans are coming to
see us,"
said Mr Amiri, a 34-year-old former police officer sacked by the Taliban
because he refused to enforce their punitive policies.
"An innocent life lost is a terrible thing, wherever it is. The life
of my
daughter was precious, but so were the lives of all those who died
in
America.
"The terrorists did something evil, and then a pilot dropped a bomb
which
killed Nazila. I do not know why Allah allows such things to happen,
perhaps
they feel the same way about their God. We can only grieve for each
other."
Three-year-old Shwata and Sohrab, six, were with their sister when the
bombs
landed. They managed to get away, but they were there 90 minutes later
when
a bulldozer scooped out Nazila's little body from the rubble. They
both have
nightmares and constantly cry and ask their mother for her. "She was
such a
beautiful little girl, my Nazila, people used to stop me on the street
and
say how beautiful she was," said Mrs Amiri, 33, stroking a faded photograph
of her daughter.
"I would like to show the Americans this photo of her and try to explain
how
sad we feel. Maybe they will talk about the people they lost. It is
a long
way for them to come, and also very kind of them. We all suffer because
of
the terrible things men do.''
©Copyright 2002, New Zealand Herald