When photographer Steve McCurry snapped this photograph of 12-year old Sharbat Gula for National Geographic in 1985 I doubt he realized it would brand our consciences worldwide.McCurry found the girl in a refugee camp in Pakistan after she had trekked with her siblings and grandmother over the hazardous mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan—her parents had been killed during a Soviet helicopter gunship attack in the early 80s. Beauty, innocence, pathos, the suffering of refugees, all the elements of our crimes against ourselves were reduced to a single frame of Kodachrome color slide film.To this day, and especially this day on this planet, her gaze goes unanswered as we continue yet another meaningless war in countries whose valleys are named things like "The End of Empires.”
It took 17 years for the world to discover Sharbat's name. It's taken 8 years in Afghanistan in our so-called war against Al-Qaeda and the masterminds of 9/11 and the Taliban to assist in the deaths of tens of thousands of Afghani civilians by international military forces and insurgents. How many tens of thousands?
Her green eyes stare out at us. And to you Mr. President.
Steve McCurry continues to capture startling images:
http://www.stevemccurry.com
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