1. Qais Akbar Omar Interview:
“One Drop at a Time Eventually Makes a River.”
Written by: Aaron Davis
On November 18, 2014 as part of International
Education Week at the University of Rhode Island,
the Office of the Provost was pleased to host Qais
Akbar Omar to present a heartfelt rendition of his
recently published memoir “A Fort of Nine
Towers”. The internationally acclaimed memoir tells
the riveting story of Qais and his family’s quest for
survival during a decade of civil war following the
withdrawal of Russian forces. Afghanistan and her
people were absolutely devastated.
After listening and conversing with Qais you would never think he went through
all of the events portrayed throughout his book. Qais’ soothing voice compliments
his even gentler demeanor. Qais is not bitter about his experience nor does he
speak about it with anger. He is truly the definition of a humble human with a
passionate love for life, country and family.
When reading his book I couldn’t help but compare his
struggles to the similar adversities and hardships Anne
Frank had to endure during the Nazi occupation of Europe.
I asked Qais about how he held his faith as he endured the
astonishingly horrific violence during that period. Qais
brought up the ironic similarities between his experiences
and Anne Frank’s experience asking us if she had lost her
faith. He goes on to talk about how story telling and poetry
played a significant role in his survival and faith. He
comments, “war is a terrible thing for the country…. but it
wont break us.” This is a testament to his faith and
showed me how strong a person he really is. When asked
about his faith Qais answered my question explaining that he wrote the story to
get it out on paper. Doing so has allowed Qais to live in the present and not the
past. He continued stating that the whole country had PTSD from the intense
wars. Qais further stated that prior to the invasion and occupation by Russia and
resulting civil war Afghanistan was a peaceful country and many of the people
enjoyed access to education and freedom to pursue their dreams. Qais’ love for
his family and country also played a substantial role in his survival. He frequently
talked about the beauty of the land saying, “its mystery’s kept my imagination
going”.
Due to the honest, reliable stories recounted in his memoir, currently he cannot
return home. He is deeply hopeful that one day he will be able to return home.

2. Qais has seen firsthand the positive effects of programs like
the Initiative to Educate Afghan Women. He believes they
must continue if Afghanistan is to prosper again. Qais
recognizes the importance of equality in Afghanistan and
knows all too well the significance of educating women in
Afghanistan. “To educate one man, yes that’s good. But to
educate a woman you are educating the mother of children.”
He explains, that it may take time; it may involve many
seemingly small steps, however, he underlines the point that,
“one drop at a time eventually makes a river.”