I decided to translate and publish this letter written by the Italian Journalist Vauro (Original version of peacereporter.net) who knew Rahmat from very close.
I am deeply astonished by the Italian Government behave, also beacause the more they keep the troops in the ISAF mission the more they go against our constitution.
On top of it I was reading this morning in the il manifesto newspaper that since Prodi took over the traffic of weapons held by Italian corporations and banks increased of 60%….
well done.
We ignore value of human life just beacuse they are Afghan and on top of it we also finance their grave – ILLEGALY.
“Dear Rahmat,
The very last time we hugged – it was last July – you had come towards us half way between Kabul and Lashkargah.
You droved us on that very dangerous way till Emegrency’ hospital, as you did many other times. Yours it was a powerful hug, a reassuring one and I could read in your smile the happiness for us getting there safe; and how, after, during the rest of the trip, I could read in your attentive eyes worry, tension, because you felt responsible for us.
You were with no weapons, as all ‘guards’ of Emergency. We never went around protected by armed corps.
It is true that Emergency’s logo on cars is already a security, but, and you know it well, none is ever safe during war.
We know each other since years Rahmat, we have laugh and joked together when we were drinking whisky and you ice tea.
We are that friends that cultural and religious differences became an element of game to us.
Me, Gino, Marina, Claudio and many others of Emergency, we all became a bit afghan with you, and you became together with us a bit of an Italian.
I believe it is also for this that when you reached Daniele Mastrogiacomo to free him you told him: “You are safe now, with me it is as if you were already in Italy”.
We have learned it together in the hospitals how little or nothing does nationality or religion or political ideology count when the body is wounded.
How many times you risked, in order to give the possibility to an ‘enemy’ to reach the hospital and have a chance of surviving: so many that, for you as for us, it became a natural thing that you don’t even think about.
However, after all this work close to Italians, really a bit Italian, maybe just for playing, you must have felt. And you must have got surprised when, the day after Daniele’s liberation, the armed forces of Karzai, at five in the morning, irrupted in your house to take you away.
You must have thought that was a mistake that would get soon solved.
How many times we saw surprise other than pain in the eyes of the injured.
I don’t know if while they were torturing you the same surprise was in your eyes.
For the Italian Government, Rahmat, you are Italian not even a bit and about your destiny the reasons of politic do count far more than the human once that we always shared.
I never thought I would write you a letter without even knowing if one day you will read it, because I was sure I could meet you face to face every time I go to Afghanistan.
I can only say I am sorry and promise that we will do everything possible to cheer together again, you with your tea and us with whisky.
Yours Vauro.”
