The Rugmaker Of
Mazar-E-Sharif:
Written by: Najaf Mazari and Robert Hillman
Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
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Time: 7 Hours 46 Minutes
An
Afghan refugee’s extraordinary
journey – from his early life as a shepherd boy in the mountains of Northern
Afghanistan to his forced exile after being captured and tortured by the
Taliban, to incarceration in an Australian detention centre…
and finally, to freedom.
This moving and poignant work gives the listener
a rare insight into the contented ‘milk
and honey’ life of a simple Afghan family before the civil war ripped their
country apart. The lives and centuries-old livelihood of farmers, craftsmen and
small business owners were destroyed in just weeks and months.
As a member of the Hazara tribe, hated and
targeted by the Taliban, Najaf was forced to flee the brutal attacks on his
people when the Northern Alliance fell to the advancing Taliban insurgents. His
flight to Pakistan, from there to Indonesia, then by boat to Australia, ends
with incarceration in Woomera, where the story begins.
From the compelling opening sentence to the
beautiful final chapter, Najaf’s integrity, his extraordinary optimism and his
generosity of spirit will win the hearts and minds of all listeners.