Originally published in Houston Chronicles
Regarding “Pakistan vows to step up fight after school massacre” (Page A1, Wednesday), as an alumnus of the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, it grieves me greatly to see the tragedy that took the lives of over 130 children. I was dumbfounded when I saw the hallways of my school that made up my childhood in pictures across the media.
Back in 2000, the current principal, Tahira Qazi taught my English class, and my writing this letter now was in part made possible by her efforts and hard work with us.
Another one of the teachers whose life was so mercilessly taken was Mr. Saeed, our Islamic Studies teacher. I still recall him imploring us to be loving to our wives when we grew up to become husbands, because that was Islam. Islam is not practiced by those who took his life.
The very 10th-grade class I was once a part of is now almost completely gone. The same school that gave me so much joy and helped make me the engineer I am today is now the final resting place of so many innocent faces.
As I went home Thursday, I decided to pick up flowers for my wife, as homage to Mr. Saeed and what he once taught me.
