Our Pashtun teenage blogger, Sher Bano, wrote this piece late last month on how the Cricket World Cup semi-final match between India and Pakistan really brought the country together and gave Pakistanis hope and something to cheer for. As we were getting ready to post it, the news broke that Osama bin Laden had been killed in Abbottabad. We decided not to run the piece until things calmed down. In the meantime, Sher emailed us her reactions to the killing, and they perhaps offer a window into the thinking of some young Pakistanis. This is some of what she said:
“Although I am happy that a terrorist has been wiped off the face of this earth, I am dissatisfied with the way the mission was carried out and with many other things. I have so many questions in my mind…Was Osama really killed? How can Osama live safely in the same city where we go every now and then, and in an area near the army? Has the world become any safer with his death? What about my country’s sovereignty and our say? ”
She went on to say that many Pakistanis feel “helpless and worry about the future” ; that “some people think their minds are being played with” and that she’s afraid that “the world must be thinking about Pakistan as the hub of terrorism.” Whether this opinion is correct or not is her best guess, she said.
What’s clear is that the semi-final cricket match from last March gave many Pakistanis hope before more bad news hit their country. It proved what a great unifier team sports can be, even in the face of floods, drone attacks, and now…terrorists hiding out in their suburbs. So without further ado here is her piece.
–The Editors
Sher BanoSher Bano’s brother, Bahram Khan, 13, in celebration mode for the ICC Cricket World Cup’s semi-final match between Pakistan and India that took place last March.
“Cricket: We love you!” Banners like this were streaming through my dreams last March. My life had become an ICC World Cup version of the Hollywood movie “Inception” as I was high on cricket shots! My world was Green and White, like the Pakistani flag.
And I wasn’t the only one. Pakistani spirits were at a peak during The World Cup, especially for the semi-final: the Pakistan vs. India match at Mohali. Walls along the streets were painted with flags, people danced to motivational songs and prayed non-stop. I kept myself busy painting the faces of my friends and family. At the time of the match, there was a standstill. All streets had been cleared, seats were occupied, and eyes glued to screens, while full bladders were ignored. There was tension. But there was even more fun!
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