Madyan, Swat Valley, Pakistan. July, 2017
Swat Valley is a place of beauty but has also been a place of terror. It was controlled by the Taliban not too long ago.
The people of Swat were not terrorists; they were terrific. They were warm hearted, eager to show us their homes and lives. We spoke with doctors, students, shop keepers, teachers, police and the unemployed. The young and the old. All of them welcoming us with open arms and cool drinks (and tea of course). They spoke of their love for learning and eagerness to see all the children of Swat, boys and girls, receive a proper, well rounded education. We heard that in some of the towns and villages we visited we were the first tourists to venture there for 20 years or so. They asked us where our armed guards were and were overjoyed when we said we chose not to have them as we felt safe with the people around us; we felt safe with them.
I took this picture whilst walking the streets of Madyan. I didn’t see any detail when I shot, just some colour, a light in the greyness. Colour, music and life is back in Swat. There may still be some bullets left but beauty is winning. The Taliban aren’t powerful enough to stop a people who know who they are and know where they stand. These kids will do it tough but they will do it. Hopefully nations like ours will realise that these people are not part of the ‘axis of evil’; they are children who want to learn, want to share, want to live. They just want peace in the valley.