Monika Bulaj: The hidden light of Afghanistan

Translator: Morten Kelder Skouboe Reviewer: Jonas Tholstrup Christensen

My travels to Afghanistan

Mine rejser til Afghanistan

began many, many years ago

begyndte for mange, mange år siden

on the eastern border of my country,

ved mit lands østlige grænse,

my homeland, Poland.

mit hjemland, Polen.

I was walking through the forests

Jeg gik gennem skovene

of my grandmother's tales.

fra min bedstemors historier.

A land where every field hides a grave,

Et land, hvor hver mark gemmer en grav,

where millions of people

hvor millioner af mennesker

have been deported or killed

er blevet deporteret eller dræbt

in the 20th century.

i det 20. århundrede.

Behind the destruction,

Bag ødelæggelsen

I found a soul of places.

fandt jeg stedernes sjæl.

I met humble people.

Jeg mødte ydmyge folk.

I heard their prayer

Jeg hørte deres bønner

and ate their bread.

og spiste deres brød.

Then I have been walking East for 20 years --

Siden har jeg gået mod øst i 20 år --

from Eastern Europe to Central Asia --

fra Østeuropa til Centralasien --

through the Caucasus Mountains,

gennem Kaukasusbjergene,

Middle East,

Mellemøsten,

North Africa,

Nordafrika,

Russia.

Rusland.

And I ever met more humble people.

Og jeg mødte hele tiden flere ydmyge folk.

And I shared their bread and their prayer.

Og jeg delte deres brød og deres bønner.

This is why I went to Afghanistan.

Det er derfor, jeg tog til Afghanistan.

One day, I crossed the bridge

En dag krydsede jeg broen

over the Oxus River.

over Oxusfloden.

I was alone on foot.

Jeg var alene til fods.

And the Afghan soldier was so surprised to see me

Og den afghanske soldat var så overrasket over at se mig,

that he forgot to stamp my passport.

at han glemte at stemple mit pas.

But he gave me a cup of tea.

Men han gav mig en kop te.

And I understood

Og jeg forstod,

that his surprise was my protection.

at hans overraskelse bestod i min beskyttelse.

So I have been walking and traveling,

Så jeg har gået og rejst,

by horses, by yak, by truck, by hitchhiking,

til hest, med yakokse, med lastbil, ved at blaffe,

from Iran's border

fra Irans grænse

to the bottom, to the edge of the Wakhan Corridor.

til bunden, til kanten af Wakhankorridoren.

And in this way

Og på denne måde

I could find noor, the hidden light of Afghanistan.

kunne jeg finde noor, Afghanistans skjulte lys.

My only weapon

Mit eneste våben

was my notebook and my Leica.

var min notesbog og mit Leica.

I heard prayers of the Sufi --

Jeg hørte sufiernes bønner --

humble Muslims,

ydmyge muslimer,

hated by the Taliban.

hadet af Taleban.

Hidden river,

Skjult flod,

interconnected with the mysticism

indbyrdes forbundet med mysticismen

from Gibraltar to India.

fra Gibraltar til Indien.

The mosque where the respectful foreigner

Moskeen, hvor den respektfulde fremmede

is showered with blessings

bliver badet i velsignelser

and with tears,

and i tårer

and welcomed as a gift.

og budt velkommen som en gave.

What do we know

Hvad ved vi

about the country and the people

om landet og folket,

that we pretend to protect,

som vi påstår at beskytte,

about the villages

om landsbyerne,

where the only one medicine

hvor den eneste medicin

to kill the pain and to stop the hunger

til at slå smerten ned og stoppe sulten

is opium?

er opium?

These are opium-addicted people

Disse er opiumafhængige folk

on the roofs of Kabul

på Kabuls tage

10 years after the beginning of our war.

10 år efter vores krigs begyndelse.

These are the nomad girls

Disse er nomadepigerne,

who became prostitutes for Afghan businessmen.

som blev prostituerede for afghanske forretningsmænd.

What do we know about the women

Hvad ved vi om kvinderne

10 years after the war?

10 år efter krigen?

Clothed in this nylon bag,

Indsvøbt i denne nylonpose,

made in China,

lavet i Kina,

with the name of burqa.

med navnet burka.

I saw one day,

Jeg så en dag

the largest school in Afghanistan,

Afghanistans største skole,

a girls' school.

en pigeskole.

13,000 girls

13.000 piger,

studying here

der studerer her

in the rooms underground,

i lokalerne under jorden

full of scorpions.

fyldt med skorpioner.

And their love [for studying]

Og deres kærlighed [til studierne]

was so big that I cried.

var så stor, at jeg græd.

What do we know

Hvad ved vi

about the death threats by the Taliban

om dødstruslerne fra Taleban,

nailed on the doors

der er sømmet på dørene

of the people who dare to send their daughters to school as in Balkh?

til de folk, der vover at sende deres døtre i skole som i Balkh?

The region is not secure, but full of the Taliban,

Regionen er ikke sikker, men fyldt med Talebanere,

and they did it.

og de gjorde det.

My aim is to give a voice

Mit mål er at give en stemme

to the silent people,

til det stille folk,

to show the hidden lights

at vise det skjulte lys

behind the curtain of the great game,

bag det store spils gardin,

the small worlds ignored by the media

de små verdener, der bliver ignoreret af medierne,

and the prophets of a global conflict.

og den globale konflikts profeter.

Thanks.

Tak.

(Applause)

(Bifald)