Saving Kabul Corner (20 page)

• • • 

A huge grin on her face, Ariana cut the article out from the paper and slid it into her folder of clues. She then slipped the folder into the filing cabinet and headed out of the garage. She had to get ready for the engagement party of a very special couple. Tofan
Baba
and Hava Bibi were getting married. Years ago the two had fallen in love as teenagers and had secretly hoped to marry, but their fathers' feud had made that impossible. For fifty years Tofan had remained true to his love for Hava Bibi, and he'd proposed to her the night of Uncle Habib's dinner. And tonight the two families would be united as one.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

In my author's note for
Shooting Kabul
, the companion novel to
Saving Kabul Corner,
I confessed to having resisted writing the book for many years due to two reasons. First, it was a very personal story, loosely based on my husband and his family's escape from Afghanistan after the Soviets invaded in 1979. Second, it dealt with many sensitive issues—the tragic events of 9/11, the war on terror, Islam, and Afghan culture and politics. In the end, with some trepidation, I wrote the story and it went out into the world. Three years later, I've been overwhelmed and humbled by the positive response it has received. What made me most proud were the e-mails and letters I got from kids who found common connections with Fadi, the protagonist, who flees with his family from a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in 2001, accidentally leaving his younger sister, Mariam, behind. These kids felt that they were being given a glimpse into a part of the world that they knew little about but had often seen in the news, and now they felt that they were able to relate to it on a personal level. I've always felt that if you give young people the opportunity to explore and experience other cultures, they will often realize how much we have in common and, in the process, also appreciate our differences.

Whenever I visited a school or gave a presentation, the question that inevitably came up was: Will you write a story about Mariam? It seemed Mariam's story haunted many readers, and it gave me sleepless nights as well. By the end of 2001, the Taliban had been ousted, al-Qaeda had been dismantled, and Hamid Karzai had been elected president (with US backing), generating renewed hope in a country ravaged by generations of war and instability. So when I decided to write
Saving Kabul Corner
, I knew Mariam would play a key role, hopefully answering some of the questions that so many kids kept asking about her.

But sadly, as
Saving Kabul Corner
begins, six years later, things in Afghanistan have not greatly improved. President Karzai proved to be ineffective in stamping out corruption and in stabilizing the country. In addition, opium cultivation escalated, economic conditions remained poor, and the Taliban continued to threaten and destabilize the country. More recently, the United States has announced that troops will be withdrawn by 2014, after hundreds of billions of dollars were spent on the war effort and reconstruction. It's not clear what the outlook for the country will be after the Americans and NATO pull out, but one thing is certain: all parties must be brought to the table in order to reach a lasting political agreement. While the situation may appear bleak, Afghans are by nature an optimistic people, and I hope such optimism, combined with determination, will bring peace, security, and prosperity,
insh'Allah,
because future generations of Afghan children are counting on their success.

—N. H. Senzai, August 2013

alhamdulillah
—An Arabic phrase meaning “praise to God.”

Allah—Standard Arabic word for God, used by Muslims as well as Arab Christians.

aushak
—An Afghan dish made of pasta dumplings filled with leeks, served with a meat sauce and topped with yogurt and dried mint.

baba
—Respectful term used for an older man.

bachay
—Plural of
“bacha”
; means “children” in Pukhto and Farsi.

badal
—Code of blood feuds or revenge in
Pukhtunwali.

bharata natyam
—A classical Indian dance form originating in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

burka—Enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic countries.

chador
—A large cloth worn as a combination head covering, veil, and shawl, usually by Muslim women.

chiyogami
—A type of
washi
paper featuring woodblock-printed designs depicting Japanese imagery.

dastarkhan
—Tablecloth laid out on the ground for family meals, which are traditionally eaten on the floor.

doday
—Means “bread” in Pukhto.

Farsi—Persian language spoken in Afghanistan (also called Dari).

ghayrat
—Means “sense of honor and pride” in
Pukhtunwali.

gunzakhil
—A type of fried Afghan cookie.

halal—Denoting or relating to food prepared as prescribed by Muslim law, similar to how “kosher” relates to Jewish law.

imandar
—The concept that a Pukhtun must always strive for good in thought, word, and deed and must behave respectfully to people, animals, and the environment around them.

insha'
Allah—An expression meaning “if God wills,” used to suggest that something in the future is uncertain.

jaan
—Means “love” or “dearest” in Pukhto and Farsi.

Kabul—The capital and largest city of Afghanistan.

kameez
—Long tunic or shirt—worn over loose, flowing pants, which are called a
parthuk.

kami
—Means “paper” in Japanese.

kebob—Refers to a variety of meat dishes consisting of grilled or broiled meats on a skewer or stick.

khala
—Means “aunt” in Pukhto.

kimchi—A traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings.

kosher—sanctioned by Jewish law, especially referring to things that are fit for ritual use.

lablabu
—Beets cooked and sold by vendors in Afghanistan and beloved by children for their sweet taste.

l
eberkäse
—
Horse meat sausage from Austria.

mantu—
A kind of dumpling, usually filled with lamb or beef, that is popular in Afghanistan.

mashahallah
—Literally means “whatever God wills.” It is often used on occasions when there is surprise at someone's good deeds or achievements.

melmastia
—The code of hospitality and protection offered to every guest in
Pukhtunwali
. Guests must set aside their ­differences if they are feuding.

nang
—Display of honor in
Pukhtunwali.

origami—The Japanese art of folding paper into decorative shapes and figures.

parthuk
—Loose-fitting pants worn under a
kameez.

pastissada
—
Horse meat stew made in Italy, particularly in Verona.

Pukhto—An Indo-European language spoken primarily by the Pukhtuns.

Pukhtun—The largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, composing 42% of the population. They speak Pukhto.

Pukhtunwali
—A concept of living, or philosophy, for the Pukhtun people; it is regarded as an honor code and an unwritten law.

pulao
—A dish of cooked rice that contains a variety of meat and vegetables.

sahib—A form of address or a title placed after a man's name or designation, used as a mark of respect.

salaam alaikum
—An Arabic spoken greeting used by Muslims as well as Arab Christians and Jews, and means “peace be upon you.”

sitar—A large, long-necked Indian lute with movable frets, played with a wire pick.

tabla
—A pair of small hand drums used in Indian music.

Taliban—A predominantly Pukhtun movement that governed Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001.

vaastu shastra
—The Indian science of architecture and design of temples, homes, and buildings.

walaikum a'salaam
—The traditional response to “
salaam alaikum
”; it means “and upon you be peace.”

washi
—A traditional Japanese paper made from plant fiber. The most widely made type is
kozogami
, made from the mulberry tree.

FURTHER READING

Books

Ali, Sharifah Enayat.
Afghanistan (Cultures of the World).
New York: Benchmark Books, 2006.

Banting, Erinn.
Afghanistan the Land (Lands, Peoples, and Cultures).
New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2003.

Bjorklund, Ruth.
Afghanistan (Enchantment of the World. Second Series).
New York: Scholastic,Children's Press, 2011.

Clements, Andrew.
Extra Credit.
New York: Atheneum, 2009.

Ellis, Deborah.
The Breadwinner Trilogy.
Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2009.

———.
Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War.
Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2012.

Khan, Rukhsana.
Wanting Mor.
Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2010.

O'Brien, Tony, and Mike Sullivan.
Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan
. New York: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, 2008.

Owings, Lisa.
Afghanistan (Blastoff! Readers: Exploring Countries).
Minneapolis: Bellwether Media, 2011.

Reedy, Trent.
Words in the Dust
. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011.

Weber, Valerie J.
I come from Afghanistan (This Is My Story).
Pleasantville, NY: Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2006.

Whitfield, Susan.
National Geographic Countries of the World; Afghanistan.
Des Moines: National Geographic Children's Books, 2008.

Websites

BBC News Country Profile: Afganistan

bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12011352

CIA World Factbook

cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html

National Geographic

kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/afghanistan/

Time For Kids

http://www.timeforkids.com/destination/afghanistan

UNICEF

unicef.org/infobycountry/afghanistan.html

World Atlas

worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/af.htm
.

SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.