The royal wedding: a view from Afghanistan

By Khyber Shinwari, NBC Kabul Producer

The big news has traveled to the tribal areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan – there will be a royal wedding, and we are very excited.

I was very happy to hear about the royal engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton.  I have always been a fan of the prince because he has always seemed so kind and generous – like his mother, Lady Diana. 

In this area, Princess Diana’s generosity was well known as a result of her efforts to rid Afghanistan of the landmines left behind by the Soviets.  

At a time when the western world forgot, or maybe choose not to pay attention to, many places – whether it be Afghanistan, Pakistan or Africa – Princess Diana showed up. 

Photos of the beautiful princess holding African babies, or the hand of a man with AIDS caught our eye even if it was for a brief second.  She made us feel like there are generous people in the world who care.

Growing up as an Afghan refugee in Pakistan, I saw Princess Diana as a symbol of goodness.  From television and magazines, I saw how she helped those in need.  I even remember her helping at a Pakistani Cancer Hospital at a time when much of the world couldn’t even locate Pakistan on the map.

I remember watching her funeral live on television in Pakistan in 1997.  My family and I couldn’t hold back the tears for a woman we never met.  And now to see William, who looks so much like her and seems to carry the same heart as his mother, get engaged – it simply makes me happy. 

When I heard he gave his fiancé his mother’s ring, it stirred up feelings of love and loss once more: I felt sorry for him again because it reminded me of his loss, but I was also happy he could share a cherished memento of his mother's with the woman he so dearly loves. 

What was also interesting to me is that Prince William picked a wife from a middle class family.  He loves without bias – just like his mother. In my part of the world that doesn’t happen.  Someone from a higher class is usually forbidden to marry someone of a lower class.  It is heartwarming for us to know that they can marry for love.

I don’t think anyone will replace Princess Diana - at least not for many generations - but I hope that Kate will carry on her legacy. 

People.com
5297,5

Discuss this post

toutaiDeleted

Prince William is marrying for lve and thats what the world needs, his gorgeous mother showed him the right tools for life, she forever be in r hearts, and learning to wait and know kate for a long time is good foundation for a a successful marriage. I hope i will get a chance to the GOLDEN TICKET for their wedding, only people who love these people should be at their marriage, we invite people who r conected to us for r weddings.

    Reply#2 - Sat Dec 4, 2010 9:51 PM EST

    Gerry-2378918...I agree with your comment and opinion. However you left out one very important person who had the biggest impact on Prince William and his life. His dad, Prince Charles has been with William longer then (sadly) his mother was.
    Prince Charles has been an outstanding and loving father, you can see the love and respect both of these young men have for their dad.
    Both Prince's cerebrated their dad's new marriage and embraced Camilla with open arms. I get so tired of people passing judgement on their dad. Charles and Diana's marriage should never have been. Diana was to young and not able to deal with the pressures that was expected of her. Prince Charles has loved Camilla for better or worse since he was a very young man. That should be enough for people.
    I am as happy for Prince William and Kate as I am and was for Prince Charles and Camilla when their wedding was announced.

      Reply#3 - Sun Dec 5, 2010 2:29 PM EST
      You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead.
      As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.