Abu Dhabi: Afghan expatriates in the UAE celebrated 98th Independence Day on Saturday at a colourful event at the Afghan Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
Abdul Farid Zikria, the Afghan Ambassador to the UAE, hoisted the national flag in the presence of community members who came from several parts of the UAE to celebrate the occasion.
Zikria said around 120,000 (one hundred and twenty thousand)-strong Afghans in the UAE are a happy and satisfied community. “They live here without any complaints and contribute to the development both the UAE and Afghanistan,” he told Gulf News.
The community members shared their hopes and dreams with Gulf News about their motherland. They said they want their compatriots back home give up weapons and adopt education for the betterment of the nation.
“Afghans have to abandon guns for pen to achieve eternal peace in the country,” said Obaidullah Mohammad Hafiz, 17, a student from Khost province. “We want peace. Education can play a major role towards that goal,” said the 12th grader living in Al Ain with his family since 2011. Echoing the same dream, Naimatullah Safi, 37, a general manager with a private firm in Abu Dhabi, said many Afghan expatriates in the UAE, are doing many efforts to restore peace back home. “Certainly promoting education is one solution. We, a group of expats, are planning to establish a peace council in Abu Dhabi, whose branch will be opened back home as well,” said Safi who is from Kunar Province.
Najeebullah Mohammad, 16, a grade-10 student at a Sharjah school, said he would spend his time to educate young Afghans when he goes back home after a few years. “That will be my contribution towards the development of my nation,” said Mohammad who was born in the UAE.
His father, Abdul Rahim Khazi, 48, a cleric at an Islamic Centre in Dubai, said he wants to emulate the success story of the UAE in Afghanistan. “We want to make our country like the UAE.”
