Despite living in one of the world’s most dangerous cities, children in Peshawar, Pakistan, are still going to school, thanks in part to two women who founded institutions that promote peace and defy the Taliban. In the newest Flow you can read more about it and in this blog you’ll find an excerpt of the feature.
Tens of thousands of Pakistanis have died in attacks in recent years, but Bushra refuses to give in to fear. The violence has changed her in a positive way; it has made her determined and stronger. “I want to fight for a world in which there is love and respect for everyone,” she says. Her eyes sparkle as she speaks. She points to a drawing on the wall, which was made by one of her students. It’s a sketch of a bomb explosion. It shows dead bodies scattered all over the street. “The Taliban are blamed, and rightly so,” she says. “But still, we also bear responsibility for the rise in violence. Pakistanis discriminate against their fellow countrymen because of their lower status, darker skin or stricter religious beliefs. We are becoming less and less understanding of each other, of our differences, and that leads to radicalization in all of our communities.”
- You can read the article in issue 16, which is available in our shop.
Text and photography Wilma van der Maten
