On the eve of the UK Government voting on whether to bomb Syria, Voices for Creative Non-Violence UK carried out vox pops in Kabul to find out what Afghans would say to British MPs. Like the opinion polls carried out in the UK, Afghans also say: Don’t bomb Syria.
Zuhul Ata, student, aged 17
“The example of the war in Afghanistan has shown that using war to end war only makes conflict last longer; weapons can not create peace. People who have lost family members will want revenge, what happened in Paris will happen in Britain. If Britain bombs Syria the impacts of violence will spread across the world.”
Khalid Ahmed, age 20, hospitalised after the attack on the MSF hospital in Kunduz.
“Why did they bomb the MSF hospital in Kunduz? I was in the hospital serving sick people, but I was nearly killed in the attack. I saw people burning in their beds, I feel like god has given me another chance to live. Like in Afghanistan, the bombing of Syria is about these [US/NATO] governments wanting to be the empire of the world, they will destroy the people to achieve their goals.”
Ghulamai Hussein, age 19, APV (left)
“It would be a mistake for the UK government to bomb Syria, we know from Afghanistan that many of the people killed in bombings are the ordinary people. The decision makers are not thinking about the benefit of the people, but of the benefit to their own power.
I think these decision makers should go and live in Syria so they know how it feels to live under bombs.”
Zarghuna, age 23, APV (right)
“We have had the experience in Afghanistan of bombings by international forces and we know it doesn’t work, it’s the people who are often killed, especially the women and children who have no role in the conflict. Waging war creates poverty in the country being bombed. If the international Governments want to help the people of Syria then give them bread to survive, not bombs which kill.”
Kabul Taxi Driver
“The root of war is about increasing profits, a war between the super powers, it’s not about helping people, it brings the people nothing except suffering, and if we complain, they kill us. If the Government of the UK claims to be a humanitarian Government, if it wants to help the world, why then would they bomb the people?”
Michela, Italian Nurse and Coordinator at the Kabul Emergency Hospital
“To bomb a country is not a solution or a way to finish anything, it is not a solution to conflict. We can clearly see this method has not worked over the last 14 years in Afghanistan.”
Abid Jamzada, age 19, law student
“I feel angry about the US/NATO actions in Afghanistan. They came here with the excuse of helping the people of Afghanistan, but they have destroyed our country. The UK Government shouldn’t bomb Syria as bombing kills people both directly involved and civilians, essentially they’ll be killing humans, which is wrong.”
Abdulhai Darya, age 19, photographer
“I feel so sad that many people will die in the bombing of Syria, especially the children. Families should not be separated by killing, bombing is not the solution.”
Luca Radaelli, Emergency Hospital Coordinator in Kabul
“If you consider war like a disease, to fight war by war you will kill the patient. Since 2008 the situation in Afghanistan has steadily got worse, every year we treat more and more people, every year we think we have reached the maximum of people we can treat, but the number keeps increasing. Syria will be a copy and paste of the war in Afghanistan: removing what was once there and leaving chaos and war. The problem (or disease) is not ISIS. We need to ask why it exists, why it has grown up, why people from Europe are heading to Syria to fight.”