Justice for Sharbat Gula "The Afghan Girl"
This petition had 1,961 supporters
Do you remember, the picture of hunting green eyes portrait on the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985, which conveyed everyone to ask the question of who is she?
She was no other than Sharbat Gula or ‘the Afghan girl'. It has been reported by the various media that Gula has been arrested for living illegally in the northwestern city of Peshawar Pakistan under forged documents and would face up to twelve years in prison and a fine of $3000-$5000 if proven guilty.
Like many Afghans, Gula's family fled to Pakistan during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan after her parents were killed, when she was only 6. Steve McCurry photographed her in 1984 and informed the world of her trauma when she was only 12 and living in a refugee camp in Pakistan. Yet, no one took notice. Sharbat Gula's daughter passed away and around the same time her husband Rahmat also passed away due to an illness. She has been widowed for 5 years and has four children to take care of. Her children are crying for their mother, they have no one to take care of them. This makes us all question whether the story of her miseries, homelessness and suffering ever end? She is a poor woman who leads a destitute life along with her four children. She is a symbol of bravery she represents all those who live in pain and suffering, but never give up in life.
Shrabat Gual should be released on the following grounds
McCurry has listed the following facts in relation to her arrest on his Facebook page.
He stated that contrary to what the authorities claimed, the Pakistani ID card she was holding was not obtained fraudulently. There is an estimated five thousand Afghan refugee to whom Pakistan has issued Pakistani ID's. Hence, as per its process, the Ministry of interior is well informed.
The Afghans living, in Pakistan have used these ID cards to hold a freehold estate and well-established business in Pakistan that is worth an estimated 10 billion. “This indeed is one important item of our discussion with SAFRON as the repatriation of Afghan refugees is gaining momentum (over 500,000 refugees returned home in the past 3 and a half months alone, and with about 150,000 refugees continuing to return per month, there will be few, if any, Afghan refugees left in Pakistan a year from now). “
Even if she did obtain her ID fraudulently, it was done out of necessity she had no other option but to obtain her documents fraudulently. Thus, she should be released on a humanitarian ground.
“Moreover, a few months ago Pakistan interior minster Mr Chaudhri Chaudhri Chaudhri Nisar Ali Khan himself announced a deadline of Nov 15, 2016, for Afghan refugees holding PK IDs to return them without facing any charges. That deadline is more than two weeks away.” Furthermore, before her arrest, she sold her house and was getting ready to return to her home country Afghanistan.
Hence, I urge you all to sign this petition to release the ‘ambassador of grief and trauma'. McCurry states “Sharbat Gula has been the symbol of refugees for decades. Now she has become the face of unwanted migrant” She does not just represent herself. But she represents all the refugees, mothers, women and men that are diaspora due to war or other political conflicts in their home countries. Please take a notice and restore hope in humanity.