FAREWELL MARJAN... Marjan, the one-eyed lone
lion is no longer the king of
Kabul zoo
PICTURES from the grenade attack!
HOW IT ALL BEGAN...
I started a career in photojournalism in the early nineties covering motorcycle racing, both circuit World Championship and african rallies, such as the once conspicuous and notorious Paris-Dakar (1991) and Paris-Le Cap (1992). So doing, I got in touch with Sahara and its subcontinent, and I experienced situations where man and its life are the true spoke of the wheel. This would finally turn me toward war / conflict areas coverage.
Restore Hope mission in Somalia - my debut on this totally different, new stage - was just a few months ahead.
If You need to contact me...
Farewell, good ol' Marjan... The lone king of Kabul zoo succumbs to his age at 48, after surviving years and years of deprivations and symbolizing to kabulis the spirit of resiliency itself Well.....that's sad news, indeed. To my eyes, Marjan symbolized hope. However, in thinking about that dear old lion's death I choose to believe that when he heard the swoosh of kites flying over Kabul, heard the roars from the football stadium, experienced the renewed sounds of music in the air and heard the click-click of chess pieces being moved around chessboards....well, the old guy knew that there was plenty of hope around and it was okay for him to let go and fly off, amid kite strings, to wherever it is the spirits of animals go.
Peace to you Marjan and peace to Afghanistan.
[Diana Smith, via the Internet]