Kaj Educational Center bombing

Table of Contents

The Kaj Educational Center bombing occurred on September 30, 2022, in Dashte Barchi, Kabul, Afghanistan. A suicide bomber targeted students who were attending a practice university exam1. The bombing left at least 53 dead and wounded 110 others2 3.

History

The Kaj Education Center was previously known as the Maud center and was the target of a suicide bombing in 2018 which killed 40 people and injured 67 others4.

The attack

Two armed suicide bombers enter Kaj educational center early on Friday morning at 7:30 AM AFT5. According to a teacher6, the security guards were gunned down7 and one of the suicide bombers blew himself up amongst the students attending the practice exam for Kankor8. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Victims

The stories of the victims were covered by many outlets like The Guardian9, NPR10, CBS News11, BBC12, Etilaat Roz13, Al Jazeera14, TOLO News15, and Amu TV16.

Omulbanin Asghari

Omulbanin (pictured) was 17 years old and the youngest of five siblings. She wanted to study political economy at Harvard University.

Waheda

Waheda was 18 and wanted to study at Kabul University to become a doctor.

Bahara

Bahara wanted to study Computer Science with the aspiration never to leave Afghanistan and contribute build the country. She was a fan of Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff, Bollywood stars, and she enjoyed watching Indian movies.

Mazria Mohammadi

Marzia was 16 and her diary entries (pictured) were shared on the internet17.

Translation of diary entries.

  1. Meeting Elif Shafak (a Turkish novelist)
  2. Visit Eiffel Tower
  3. Eat pizza at a restaurant in Italy
  4. Riding a bike and listening to music
  5. Walk in the park at night time
  6. Play guitar -> learn guitar
  7. Visiting at least 6 beautiful countries of the world
  8. Write a novel

Nasrin

Nasrin was 14 and one of the youngest victims of the blast18.
#NameAgeNotes
1Omulbanin Asghari17
2Waheda18
3Bahara20
4Marzia Mohammadi16
5Nasrin14One of the youngest victims
6Layeqa19Nasrin's cousin
7Hajar Mohammadi
8Basgul14One of the youngest victims (BBC)
9Zahra AhmadiReported by Etilaat Roz
10NajibaReported by Etilaat Roz
11FatimaReported by Amu TV
12Shabnam17(Tolo News)

Reactions

António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations tweeted 19.

Dozens of adolescent girls & boys were killed today in a heinous attack on an educational center in Kabul City. The de facto authorities must protect the rights of all Afghans – regardless of ethnicity or gender – to access education safely and securely.

Josep Borrel Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, tweeted20.

Today’s heinous attack in a Hazara area of #Kabul claimed the lives of students, boys and girls, who were taking exams. It is time for the Taliban to fulfil their obligations to ensure safety of all Afghans.

Malala, the youngest Nobel laureate, tweeted by sharing a video on the bombing from BBC21.

At least 53 people killed and 110 injured, mostly young women, as they practiced university entrance exams in Kabul. Taliban refuse to protect minorities from violent attacks. Children risk their lives to go to school while world leaders stand by and watch. #StopHazaraGenocide

Ata Muhammad Nur, the ex-Governor of Balkh Province and Tajik political leader, called the killings of Hazaras a genocide in Afghanistan22.

Protests

In response to the bombing, the Hazara diaspora organized protests throughout the world. According to World Hazara Council, demonstrations were organized in 91 cities 23 24.

Afghanistan

On Tuesday 4 October 2022, the students at Al Beruni University Kapisa gathered to protest the bombing, however, the Taliban dispersed them25.

On Wednesday 5 October 2022, the Afghan women in Jalalabad gathered to protest the bombing26.

Afghan women protested the bombing in Bamiyan, Ghazni27, Kabul, Daykundi, Panjshir, Herat, and Balkh Provinces where some were dispersed by the Taliban28. It was also reported Balkh University students were locked in dorms by the Taliban to stop them from protesting29. BBC reported that the Taliban fired guns in the air and were violent to the protestors30.

Canada

On Sunday 2 October 2022, a demonstration was held in Toronto. The participants called for the end of targeted attacks on Hazaras in Afghanistan. There were over 400 participants from all ethnic groups of Afghanistan31 32.

Pakistan

The Hazaras in Quetta, Pakistan gathered in Hazara Town to protest the bombing and chanted to stop the Hazara genocide in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan and Pakistani civil society activists also staged demonstrations in Islamabad33.

Twitter Campaign

A Twitter campaign with the hashtag #StopHazaraGenocide started which was tweeted over 3 million times34. Many celebrities and public figures joined the campaign.

As of 8 October 2022, according to Talkwalker the #StopHazaraGenocide hashtag was tweeted over 6 million times35.

Fatemeh Ekhtesari, a well-known Persian poet supported the campaign by posting a stanza (picture)36 37.

Elif Shafak, the Turkish-British novelist, essayist, and public speaker, posted on her Instagram (pictured) about Marzia and joining the #StopHazaraGenocide campaign38 39. Meeting Elif Shafak was one of the entries in Marzia’s diary40.

Related

◉  Kawsar-e Dansih suicide bombing

◉  Sayed al Shuhada school bombing

◉  Dashte Barchi

References

  1. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57137981
  2. Death toll in last week’s Kabul school blast climbs to 52, Published October 4, 2022, Accessed October 6, 2022
  3. UNAMA News Tweet
  4. Afghanistan: ISIL Suicide bomber targets school in Kabul. Published 16 August 2018. Accessed 6 October 2022
  5. At least 25 dead after suicide bomb blast at educational center in Kabul, CNN, accessed October 1, 2022
  6. کاج‌های خونین؛ ادامه‌ی حملات مرگ‌بار بر مراکز آموزشی هزاره‌ها در غرب کابل
  7. ‘My sister had dreams’: Mourning after school blast in Kabul
  8. Kankor is the university exam held every year in Afghanistan for high school graduates
  9. ‘She could have done so much good in this world’: victims of the Kabul blast remembered
  10. The diary of an Afghan girl killed in bombing reveals a list of unfulfilled dreams
  11. Kabul suicide bombing: Attack on school in Afghanistan’s capital reportedly leaves dozens dead, mostly young women
  12. Malala’s Tweet
  13. از کشته‌ها و زخمی‌های کاج (۲)
  14. ‘My sister had dreams’: Mourning after school blast in Kabul
  15. Friday’s Attack on Educational Center Sparks Reactions. Published 2 Oct 2022. Accessed 8 Oct 2022
  16. فاطمه؛ آرزویی که ناتمام ماند
  17. The diary of an Afghan girl killed in bombing reveals a list of unfulfilled dreams
  18. Death toll in last week’s Kabul school blast climbs to 52
  19. UN Secretary-General Tweet
  20. Fontelles’ Tweet
  21. Malala’s Tweet
  22. عطا محمد نور: کشتار هزاره‌ها را نسل‌کشی می‌دانم. Published 8 Oct 2022. Accessed 8 Oct 2022
  23. World Hazara Council’s tweet on rally locations
  24. «نسل‌کشی هزاره‌ها»؛ فردا و پس‌فردا در شهرها و کشورهای مختلف تظاهرات برگزار می‌شود. Accessed 8 Oct 2022
  25. دانشجویان دختر دانشگاه البیرونی کاپیسا با شعار “همراه شو عزیز” تظاهرات کردند
  26. Women Hold Protest Against Hazara Genocide in Jalalabad City, Published October 5, 2022. Accessed October 6, 2022
  27. عفو بین‌الملل: طالبان با فضای ترس و تهدید در حال محو زنان از زندگی اجتماعی است. Published 6 Oct 2022. Retrieved 8 Oct 2022
  28. Afghan women protest school attack as Taliban cracks down. Published October 3, 2022. Accessed October 6, 2022
  29. Taliban Beat Up Afghan Women Who Held Demonstration in Balkh Against Hazara Genocide. Published October 3, 2022. Accessed October 6, 2022
  30. افزایش آمار قربانیان انفجار در دشت برچی کابل و تظاهرات دانشجویان در بلخ. Published 3 Oct 2022. Retrieved 8 Oct 2022
  31. Toronto demonstration held to condemn attacks on Afghanistan’s Hazara community, Toronto Star, Published 2 October 2022, Accessed 06 October 2022
  32. Members of Toronto’s Afghan community hold protest to demand security for women and girls in Afghanistan, CBC News, Accessed 06 October 2022
  33. شعار راهپیمایان در کویته پاکستان: نسل‌کشی هزاره‌ها در افغانستان را متوقف کنید. Published 4 October 2022. Accessed 6 October 2022
  34. هشتگ علیه «نسل‌کشی هزاره‌ها» از مرزسه میلیون گذشت
  35. #StopHazaraGenocide Tweeted Over Six Million Times
  36. Fatemeh Ekhtesari’s Tweet
  37. فاطمه اختصاری، شاعر مطرح ایرانی به کارزار «نسل‌‌کشی هزاره‌ها را متوقف کنید» پیوست
  38. Elif Shafak’s Instagram
  39. افزایش آمار قربانیان انفجار در دشت برچی کابل و تظاهرات دانشجویان در بلخ
  40. The diary of an Afghan girl killed in bombing reveals a list of unfulfilled dreams

About this article

  • Last updated: 2 years ago
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Location

Dashte Barchi, Kabul, Afghanistan

Date

September 30, 2022
7:30 AM AFT

Bombing type

Suicide bombing

Deaths

53

Injured

110