Origin: Faisalabad, Pakistan
“As the door squeaked, a beautiful lady entered the hall. It was the woman Fahad was supposed to marry, but now she was someone else’s wife. It was this moment that I had been dreading the most. My gaze shifted to Fahad and found him staring hopelessly at her. As she drew near, accompanied by her husband, Fahad’s eyes moved towards me. His looks cut through to my conscience like arrows. At that moment, I wished so desperately that it had never happened. I wished I had never wronged my friends…”
Origin: Cairo, Egypt
“Screaming women and running feet were all I could see. I saw blood on clothes and people falling to the ground. Ali suddenly grabbed my arm and told me: ‘If we lose each other in the crowd, don't wait for me; just be safe and go home. And if I don't return, then ask God for us to meet again.’ I just kept looking at him. I was stunned. I didn’t understand what was going on...”
Origin: Sfax, Tunisia
“We started running towards them, but to our surprise, they aimed at us and started shooting. It was the first time that I ever saw real guns and bullets. I felt both fear and excitement. I had in my mind one concept, 'What happens to others, will never happen to me...'”
Origin: Egypt
“We were Muslims and Christians, educated and uneducated. We were all fighting with our hearts and our bare hands. Our guns were made of dreams filled with bullets of hope against the devil. His forces were armed with bombs and bullets. But the devil is weak. The right is strong. God is right.”
Origin: Faisalabad, Pakistan
“Being just a young boy, I was overwhelmed by the looming change in my life. I can still recall my quivering steps to school and the wetness in my misty eyes. I still remember the look on my mother’s face and the warmth of those first tears that fell down my cheeks when she kissed my forehead. My father, a major in the army at that time, just shook my hand. Filled with dreams of seeing his only son as a captain, he said to me in a strong voice: 'Make your father proud!'”