Relatives lower into a grave the body of a victim of yesterday鈥檚 suicide bomb attack on worshippers at a Shiite mosque, in which at least 55 people died, during the funeral at a graveyard in Kunduz on October 9, 2021. (Photo by Hoshang Hashimi / AFP)
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan 鈥� Shuja kneels to mutter a prayer, his fingertips touching the small mound of earth now covering the body of his 12-year-old brother Shaia, killed by a suicide bomber.
Shaia had gone to pray on Friday at the Gozar-e-Sayed mosque in Kunduz, and was among scores of Shiite Muslims who died in the blast, including three other members of his family who now lay buried beside him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so raw right now,鈥� Shuja tells AFP, just after he has buried his young sibling. 鈥淲ords cannot explain the emotions in my heart.鈥�
Friday鈥檚 suicide bombing was the latest in a string of attacks on Afghanistan鈥檚 minority Shiite community 鈥� branded heretics by Sunni Muslim extremists like the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) group, which claimed the attack.
鈥淲e have four martyrs from one family. Now every home has martyrs,鈥� Shuja says, shaken with grief.
鈥淲e cannot bear it anymore. We鈥檝e been living for so many years with this misery.鈥�
The 19-year-old had decided not to go to the mosque for Friday prayers, but rushed to the scene when he heard about the bombing, and fainted when he found his brother among the bloodied corpses.
鈥淪ome are totally lost, and they can鈥檛 be found. Some bodies are without heads or arms,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wish that someday my country could be peaceful like other countries.鈥�
Coated in dust
As gravediggers shovel the earth, a brisk wind blows dust across the arid Sar-e-Dawara cemetery, where more than 60 victims were buried on Saturday.
According to Islamic tradition, burials should take place as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours of death.
The cemetery workers 鈥� their faces and clothes cloaked in the fine dust and hands caked in soil 鈥� quickly dig one grave after another as traumatized families grieve for their loved ones.
A group of 60 to 70 people gathers around one plot, where close relatives of a 17-year-old victim sob and wail inside the grave itself before a prayer reader recites phrases from the Koran.
A stretcher lies to the side of the burial site, as well as plywood coffins that housed the bodies 鈥� shrouded in white 鈥� before they were lowered into the ground.
鈥榃e have dreams鈥�
Ahmadshah Hashemy, a cousin of 12-year-old Shaia, tells AFP he feels 鈥渧ery insecure鈥�.
鈥淭his is a disaster for our people, especially for the Shiites that have been targeted under different governments,鈥澛爃e says at the cemetery.
The Taliban promised improved security for all Afghans after they swept to power in August, and Hashemy says he thought the recent change in government would bring security to his community.
鈥淏ut unfortunately, we see this big suicide attack took place and targeted our poor people, our young generation who were not involved in any political situation,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hey were just poor people, they were just civilians.鈥�
The 35-year-old construction engineer from Kunduz says five other members of his family are being treated at a nearby hospital.
Locals say more than 100 people died and more than 200 were seriously injured in the attack.
鈥淭his is a crime against children,鈥� Hashemy says.
鈥淭hey were the young generation. Some of them planned to get married, and some of them planned to continue education.鈥�
鈥淣ow they are buried in there,鈥� he says, pointing to the freshly covered graves. 鈥淲e are all human, we have dreams.
鈥淲e have the dreams to take part in the construction of our society and the infrastructure of our country,鈥� he says.
鈥淏ut these insurgents, these criminals, bring darkness into our lives.鈥�