Zabihullah Noori saw his first dead body on the way to school when he was 6 years old. A few years later, at a parade following the overthrow of the government, he witnessed the death of five of his classmates.
Noori said many Afghans have had the same experiences.
“When I say ‘me,’ I can represent my entire generation,” he said during his presentation, “Me: Another Victim of War,” Wednesday afternoon in the International Resource Center.
“I don’t have fun in my life,” he said. “Weddings, parades, and other celebrations are just reminders of the things I have seen, they have stuck with me.”
In addition to the violence he has seen first hand, Noori said he has faced discrimination following the attacks of Sept. 11. He said many around the world associate all Afghan citizens with the Taliban regime. While traveling to the United States his plane was delayed for two hours in Switzerland while he was questioned, he said.
“They asked me about very random things, like where I was going on this date 10 years ago,” he said. “I was questioned for two hours while they X-rayed my stuff. I was treated like a terrorist.”
Noori, 28, arrived in the U.S. on Sept. 27, 2005.
Because of the past conflicts in Afghanistan, he said traveling difficulties have prevented him from returning home since his arrival. Noori said he plans to obtain a master’s degree in journalism and will be enrolled in classes at the University next fall.
Before his move to America, he said, he was forced to flee his home and walk for two days to the neighboring country of Pakistan. There, he worked hard labor in a Chinese restaurant to make ends meet and send money home to help support his family.
“I would try to send $20 a week,” he said. “It was very difficult because there was no banking system in place at the time, I would have to try and find someone traveling back to my home and give my money to them and hope they would take it to my family, some of the money never even reached them.”
At the conclusion of his presentation Noori welcomed Wasima Naseer, a 21-year-old Afghan woman to the stage. Noori was informed of Naseer’s presence on campus the morning of his presentation and asked her to attend the presentation and speak about her life in Afghanistan.
“I was late because I did not get the invitation until 12:30,” Naseer said. “I wanted to be here to participate and be apart of this.”
She said she had never seen peace until she came to the United States in early May.
Noori, who spoke to an audience of about 50, is the fifth presenter in a six-part series that deals with the effects of war on students. The series, “Global Views: The Impact of War on Students’ Lives,” has provided a platform for students who have experienced war either directly or indirectly an opportunity to share their experiences.
The series is designed to raise awareness about war and the IRC, Magid Shirzadegan, director of International Student and Scholar Services, said.
The program has created more understanding as to what victims of war have experienced, Shirzadegan said. Speakers have included those who have personally seen the effects of war, and those who have been effected generations later.
“We cannot stop the process of dialogue,” he said. “Once we stop talking, it would be like forgetting that war exists.”
Sonja Rasmussen, a coordinator of the program, said she has been pleased with turnout at the events.
“I am absolutely delighted. The attendance has been more than expected,” Rasmussen said.
The six-part series will wrap up Wednesday when Japanese exchange student Mari Mizobe presents “Letters from a Granddaughter: Living between Two Cultures.” Her speech, like the others, will be held in the in the IRC located on the Mezzanine level of the EMU.