Hope

Hope

When you come to me
Bring a pair of eyes
So that I can see the world differently

Two Sisters, One Floor Apart, Play Dead and Survive AUAF Attack

Two Sisters, One Floor Apart, Play Dead and Survive AUAF Attack

Two AWWP writers survived a terrorist attack last month by armed gunmen at American University of Afghanistan. The August 24 attack killed thirteen people, including students, teachers, and security guards. The two girls tell their stories for AWWP here. AUAF remains closed since the attack.

I Prepare to Die as the Taliban Attacks AUAF

I Prepare to Die as the Taliban Attacks AUAF

Wednesday 24th of August, 2016. The fourth day of my second semester. My last class finished at 6:20 p.m. I expected to meet a friend, but she did not come so I finished my dinner and went to the mosque to pray. At 7:04 p.m., I had just finished praying when three explosions went off two meters (6.5 feet) from the mosque. The air turned dark, the ceiling fell upon us. It was hard to breathe. Seconds later, gunshots began. I could not believe what seemed clear: the American University of Afghanistan was under attack.

One Floor from My Sister, Waiting to Die

One Floor from My Sister, Waiting to Die

The 24th of August was the third day of my second semester at AUAF. I had started with so many hopes. I was in statistics class on the second floor of the Bayat Building, listening carefully to the lecture, when we heard gunfire close to campus. Growing up in Afghanistan, we think of gunfire as routine. Our professor continued his lecture. Seconds later, an ear-blasting bomb shook the building and shattered the window glass. The campus was under attack.