Full Story The Sunday Read: When neutrality becomes dangerous
Mar 28, 2026
A personal account of how war erodes everyday life and community ties. Stories of ruined villages, disrupted family rituals and the balakhana’s role in local justice. A look at how supposed neutrality becomes impossible or criminalized for civilians. Connections drawn between Afghanistan’s experience and wider Middle East spillover.
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Childhood Memory Of Serving In Jirga Gatherings
- Shadi shares childhood details of participating in jirga gatherings, serving tea and watching elders mediate disagreements late into the night.
- He explains these customs settled disputes among traders across Central and South Asia long before courts or contracts existed.
Family Balakhana As A Moral Meeting Place
- Shadi Khan Saif describes his family's balakhana as a central moral space used for hospitality and mediation in their Afghan village.
- He recalls pouring tea, lining shoes and listening as elders resolved disputes through Quranic reflection and poetry in that upper guest room.
Neutrality Turns Dangerous In War
- Wars erode local systems of mediation so neutrality for civilians becomes risky rather than moral, turning choice into survival calculations.
- Shadi notes villagers who served one side risked reprisal from the other, making refusal to pick sides itself dangerous.