As a westerner in the midst of a war zone, I always wondered why such great emphasis was placed on restoring Bagh-e-Babur (Gardens of Babur) in 2002, in the center of Kabul, Afghanistan.
When I visited Bagh-e-Babur in 2010, I remember thinking, “Wow, people risked their lives to restore this garden, but why? What will it do for the people of this land?”
I mean, I knew what I was doing there. And I knew what a new hospital could do for the people of Afghanistan. And of course, restoring educational and housing facilities is imperative…but restoring a garden? I mean, logically speaking, a garden is no safe haven in Kabul. Besides, who could afford to spend even a single day in the garden? Didn’t people have work to do? Going on a picnic seemed like a frivolous activity when there was an entire country to rebuild…
Again and again I would ask, “Why did the AKTC, under the guidance of His Highness the Aga Khan, take the initiative to restore this garden?”
Two years later, I arrived at the answer…
Click here to read at the source: sabrinalakhani.com.
Ismailimail 