Muslim Afghani perspective in Hashmi's poems.

Born in Peshawar city of Pakistan, Shadab Zeest Hashmi, the author of

Kohl & Chalk and Baker of Tarifa, is one of the eminent poetesses of
Pakistani Anglophone poetry. Her poems have been translated into
Spanish and Urdu and published in journals and anthologies worldwide.
Hashmi’s poetry meditates on the often-fraught political and cultural
exchanges between the United States and the Middle East alongside
other versatile themes of peace, war, history, women, and life
philosophies. Her style is “capacious, crafted and lyrical” with the
conspicuous implementation of figurative language. Ghazal is her most
celebrated poetic form where she
“revealed a bold original voice with an ability to meld cultures and
poetic forms with great skill”.
“Ghazal for the Girl in Photo” is one of her famous poems. books of
poetry have been marked as “a gift that enriches our literature. Her
poetry meditates on the often-fraught political and cultural exchanges
between the United States and the Middle East alongside other versatile
themes of peace, war, history, women, and life philosophies. Her style is
“capacious, crafted and lyrical” with the conspicuous implementation of
figurative language. Ghazal is her most celebrated poetic form where
she “revealed a bold original voice with an ability to meld cultures and
poetic forms with great skill”. “Ghazal for the Girl in Photo” is one of her
famous poems.
This poem clearly depicts the Muslim Afghan perspective toward
America. In this poem, Shadab describes the condition of an Afghani girl
named Sharbat Goula whose picture became the reason for the
popularity of Steve McCurry’s photograph (published in the National
Geographic and iconic of war and the suffering of refugees around the
world). Hashmi wrote this poem to show the sufferings of Afghan refugees
that were caused by America's invasion of Afghanistan. America
pretended to be the friend and well-wisher of Afghanistan when Soviets
invaded it but after that the warmth of friendship vanished and he
became totally stranger to Afghanistan and attacked it after the 9/11
incident and destroyed peace there.
"You became the girl with the piercing eyes when you found your
country swiped by a stranger"
The poetess says that the US war against Taliban has devastated the
lives of Afghans. Many innocent people lost their lives. and many were
displaced. People saw their loved ones being bombed in front of them as
Hashmi says about Sharbat Goula:
"In Kabul snow, a missile turned your mother into coal"
The war in Afghanistan destroyed lives, due to the direct consequences
of violence. People have been killed by airstrikes, crossfires, bombing,
and night raids into houses. Afghanistan which once was the homeland
and beautiful land of Afghans is now on fire. They have to leave their
homeland to seek shelter in other countries.
"A garden once hung from your name like the perfume of wild
apple blossoms"
Hashmi also discusses the aftermaths of the migration of refugees to
other countries or in a refugee camp. She expresses this by depicting
the character of Sherbat Goula who was leading a life among her family
in her own homeland. She is living in a refugee camp in a very miserable
condition. Her beauty and charm have now vanished. Her eyes were full
of fear and horror of war. She symbolizes her eyes as the suppressive
conditions of the victims. Her eyes show the world the barbarity of the
US towards Muslims and Afghans.
"Your eyes teach how cold flint ignites a flare,"
Hashmi condemned the cruel behavior of the US which showed enmity
in the disguise of friendship. She also feels pity for those first-world
countries who supported America and turned their eyes blind to its
inhuman deeds in Afghanistan.
"Pity the first world’s pity, the promise of friends who show up as
every type of stranger"
At the end of this poem, Zeest talks to herself and remembers the
memory of past when Afghanistan was fragrant with its beautiful flowers.
It was the land of beautiful gardens the local music of Afghanistan was
very enchanting. But now it is surrounded by fires.
Conclusion:
It is concluded that in this poem Hashmi depicted the true essence of the
Muslim Afghan feelings towards America and other first-world countries
that thought Muslims and Afghans are terrorists. With the help of her
poem, she made it clear that the Afghans and Muslims are not terrorists
but victims.