Mirabotalib Kazemie

The Ragged Blanket Mirabotalib Kazemie

The story begun during the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan one year before the country was invaded by the American's army. It is about the events and the turning points of struggles going on inside two middle class families whose members were divided over the idea of leaving the country. In one of the families, Sabet, the son, spent some time in prison. Rodaba, his mother, was arguing with her husband, Mehrab, that he should sell the house and let the family together leave the country. Mehrab was unbending. As a medical doctor, he was arguing that despite adverse political conditions he had to stay and serve his patients. In the other family, Sara, the daughter, was once beaten by the Taliban. She was trying to persuade her father, Hatem, to do the same thing. Hatem, a philanthropic businessman sponsoring a number of charity organizations, also on moral grounds was rejecting the idea of leaving Afghanistan. Sabet and Sara who were suffering under the prevailing gender-, ethnic- and cultural discriminations, and lack of possibilities for high education, after being married, ultimately decided to flee out of the country without their parents. A week after the invasion Hatem's house was bombed by the Americans, and Rodaba was injured in a separate bombing incident. Hatem and Mehrab were still adamant to leave the country. Few weeks later, while the two men were attending a burial ceremony, Hatem was wounded by shots fired at the crowd from American helicopters. This time they decided to leave the country, saying, "We are going to die one day, but we want to die with dignity . . .