The pictures of children smiling as they went to school were both heartening and heartbreaking, and as a country we can be proud of their courage. PHOTO: AFP
The school that the children so bravely went to will now also be forever remembered as the school where children lay dead, lay slaughtered, where teachers could not be given a final farewell because hurried burials were necessary, where for days and months and longer children will recount the horrors of arguably one of the greatest tragedies this country has seen. At this time, we must also remember the children who would not have made it to school on January 12; those who are still injured, and whose wounds may never allow them to forget the tragedy that struck.
The pictures of children smiling as they went to school were both heartening and heartbreaking, and as a country we can be proud of their courage. But beyond the smiles are some terrible, forever-wounding truths. Truth that the worst has happened, that memories of school projects and sports days will now be overshadowed by memories of best friends killed, of playing dead when you are the only one left to play. Pakistan has taken pride in the courage of its children for far too long. Finding solace in children’s bravery, from Malala Yousufzai to Aitzaz Hasan, to the 132 whose names we will not remember, is an escape too easy.
The children of APS showed us the courage that it takes to move on. It is no longer enough to be just proud of our children; it is no longer okay to support them with hollow slogans and promises of bravery awards. It is time Pakistan’s adult population, its civil and military leadership, also has the courage to take ownership of their countless failings. Going to school should never again be an act of bravery.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2015.
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This picture causes Goosebumps. Please let our children learn. Let our children play. They are just children. No more politics no more scoring let us live.
i hope that these kids do not have to go thru that dreadful experince like their slain fellow students. Brave are those who show the world that they are not afraid. But that is only one side of the coin. It is time for all of us to have the courage to identify the reasons for what happened and find solutions. The evil of backwardness can only be eradicated thru science and not repeating beliefs of yesteryears.Education is the key and deterrmination to achieve higher values based on reason alone.