Feature: Afghan author reveals horrors of war, militancy in embattled country in poignant books

The protracted war and civil strife have forced millions of Afghans including women and children from all walks of life to leave their country for safer places across the globe, mostly in European countries, especially in Germany.

Among the hundreds of thousands of fleeing Afghans there are highly educated people, as well of those occupying the higher echelons of society, including physicians, politicians, scientists, artists and writers.

Zarifa Pirzad, the author of several books, is among countless social elites who have left the war-torn country to escape the militancy and has lived in Germany over the past four years.

Reflecting on her nightmare and that of her compatriots, the writer in her books has strove to reveal the ordeal of Afghans suffering at the hands of terror networks, militant groups, warring factions and their war mongering policies.

Among nearly a dozen books written by Pirzad to reflect the miseries of her country and its people, the popular titles Shabah-e-Marg (The Shadow of Death), Hawades-e-Nagowar (Unpleasant Events) and Man-o-Tanhaye (Me and Loneliness) have been widely praised locally and some have won awards from the ministry of information and culture.

"Since Afghans have been facing a myriad of problems ranging from prolonging war to human rights violations, including those of women's rights, poverty and social injustice, I have decided to showcase Afghan society's miseries to the global community by writing books," Pirzad told Xinhua via telephone on Wednesday.

Describing her motherland as a "Male dominated society," Pirzad said that in her locality in Kabul where she used to live, a man killed his wife for giving birth to seven daughters during more than two decades of their marriage.

"It is irrational to hate girls; to commit violence against women. We should fight for ensuring justice in society," the female writer explained, adding, "I have no means to voice this point and injustice, other than by writing books to enlighten people about all these social ills."

Like millions of her fellow Afghans, Pirzad has also paid the huge price to the brutal and lengthy war in her country, which has bereft her of several of her nearest and dearest, including her husband, mother and sister.

Explaining her ordeal, Pirzad said that she had lost her husband 21 years ago, and that her one-year-old daughter was killed after a rocket fired by warring sides struck her apartment in Kabul during factional fighting in 1990s.

She also said that she would never be able to forget the barbaric horrors of war and the many rockets slamming blindly into residential areas that claimed the lives of countless innocent civilians.

The ongoing Afghan conflict and lingering insurgency problems have reportedly claimed more than 1.5 million lives, besides forcing millions of others to leave their homeland for safer places in other countries over the past three decades.

Around 7 million Afghans, according to Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Affairs, Sayed Hussain Alami Balkhi, are currently living abroad, mostly in Pakistan and Iran.

Balkhi has also confirmed that more than 250,000 Afghans fleeing their homes had applied for asylum with the majority of them ending up in European countries last year.

In spite of the international community's support to the Afghan government, the Afghans, mostly its educated youth are still fleeing their country to escape insecurity, unemployment, economic hardship and poverty.

Feeling homesick and analyzing Afghanistan's current situation, Pirzad said that more Afghans would leave their country for safer places until and unless social justice, economic development and viable peace is ensured in the country.

"The storybook Shabah-e-Marg (The Shadow of Death) written by Pirzad, is an all-inclusive account, reflecting the true pains of the people of Afghanistan; the chaotic situation and the truths behind the Afghan society," Afghan journalist Bari Akhgar told Xinhua recently.

Most importantly, the book reflects Pirzad's intelligent perspective and sociological and psychological insights that would certainly educate and enlighten readers, Akhgar observed.

Writing books on Afghanistan and reflecting on the miseries of Afghans in the war-ravaged country teaches the global community about Afghanistan's problems and may help the nation to take steps to find an amicable solution to the lingering crisis and ensure peace can be a viable option there, Karima Malikzada, who lives in Kabul said.

She also maintained that writers, scientists, artists and university professors are the cream of society and their migration to other countries is not easily compensable. Enditem