On Saturday, May 8, 2021, when the students of Sayyed Al-Shohada School were leaving, they were attacked by terrorists. These were innocent and unarmed students, who saw education and the acquisition of knowledge as a path to a better future.
But there are people who are trying to add to the wounds already suffered by Afghans.
The school is located in one of the deprived areas of Kabul and many of these students are from the working class or the poor, who work hard to provide the equipment they need by doing things like carpet weaving. Many of the students’ fathers are also struggling to make ends meet. Last year, after the pandemic, finding work became more difficult and families could not afford to support themselves. But these students still wanted to learn and study.
According to eyewitnesses, there were three explosions in a row. First, a car exploded near the school, and then two mortars hit. At first, the death toll was estimated at 30 to 60 but, to date, more than 80 people have been killed and about 150 injured.
Meanwhile, Aqila Tavakoli, headmistress of the Sayyed al-Shohada school, said the death and injury toll was likely to rise to more than 300, as the number of unidentified bodies or those missing have risen. Most were teenage girls, aged 13 to 17.
In the first few days, many bodies were unidentifiable and families went to different hospitals to find their children. Even now, some of the bodies have not yet been found and the search continues.
“We buried 26 martyrs on this hill that has been named the Maaref Hill. We buried 20 more martyrs on another hill and 17 more were buried in Chehel Dokhtaran Hill near the school,” said Mohammad Daud, the relative of a victim.
Everyone wants to know who is responsible for this inhuman tragedy. The government accuses the Taliban and believes they are trying to disrupt order. But the Taliban denies involvement in yesterday’s bombing. Some say the incident is suspicious, given that it took place in the days leading up to the US withdrawal of troops. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran issued a statement in which they called the crime a US conspiracy to revive Takfiri terrorism.
Zahra, 31, noticed something had happened when she returned home from work. “Ambulances were passing in front of us and it was clear that something bad had happened. I did not know what it was or where the attack took place. Everything became clear later.”
“Our family said she should not go to school because her future would not be guaranteed, but I insisted that she should go to school because it was a state school,” Husain, the brother of Kulthum, a student who was killed, told TOLOnews.
After the incident, some families prevented their children from attending school because they were worried about their safety. The families of the victims blame the government for failing to provide security for its citizens.
Amin, 25, an Afghan citizen who was near the school that day, says the government has a responsibility to prevent such a brutal attack by any terrorist group.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s the Taliban or ISIS. We have seen similar attacks many times over the past year.”
I ask for his opinion about international organizations and institutions because the government appears to be incapable of maintaining order.
“They did not do anything before and they will not help in future. They do not want to help. This was not the first time. We have witnessed such tragedies many times in the past, but who was tried? What court was formed? Everyone is blaming each other and no one cares about the people.”
Afghanistan has been at the bottom of the list of the happiest countries in the world for many years. As it becomes easier to study in countries like Finland and Denmark, Afghan students continue their education in the worst possible conditions and sometimes lose their lives like in this terrorist attack. But they do not give up.
The day after the incident, students gathered in memory of their classmates. Medina Nikzad, one of the students who survived the attack, was there.
“Wherever we fall, we get up and keep studying,” she said. “We keep learning. They cannot stop us.”
Image credit: Mohammad Hassanzadeh / Tasnim News Agency
