A young, Afghan boy waved 'goodbye' to his friends as the bus took him and his family away from his home in the rugged mountains. The rise of the Taliban meant 'home' was no longer safe and theirs would now be the story of refugees. Their journey took them winding round dangerous precipices, over bumpy, dirt roads. Finally they arrived in Karachi, Pakistan. There, welcomed by the Ismaili community, Murid has made his home since 2000.
Now Murid balances his studies with his work for interfaith harmony. Recently, with some Hindu and Ismaili friends, he volunteered his services to local churches to decorate them in the run-up to Christmas.
Here's what he had to say about faith and family:
Q. Murid, what would the headline of the story of your life be?
A. A father who changed the world. (Because whatever I am today, it's because of my father).
Q. When did you last cry?
A. On January 15th. One of my cousins was diagnosed with Leukemia and came to Karachi for his treatment. He didn't know the language, so I had to be there with him. I would go to university during the day, and at night I would go to take care of him at the hospital. The reason this moment was difficult is that everyone was putting in their best effort but we could not defeat Leukemia. We lost the battle.
Q. Who do you love most in your life and why?
A. Of Course my Imam. Because he is the reason behind everything I am today. He has given me parents who would remain hungry for days and yet give their food to me. He is the man who taught me that, despite being so diverse, we are all born of a single soul and must love and care for each other. There are many other reasons.
Q. Who was your favorite teacher at school and why?
A. My favourite teacher was Miss Gulnaz from Gilgit. The reason is that she would always tell me that I was very good at everything but I should try to be the best. She would believe in me and give me the biggest task. And when she did, I never let her down too.
Q. Who is the most important person in your life and why?
It's very difficult to decide who is the most important person in one's life because my life has been shaped by many people. But I think my parents are the most important people in my life. The reason is that they have always given me more than they could. They have always preferred me over anything else in the world.
Q. If you could have one prayer answered, what would it be?
A. To get married to the girl that I love. I know this answer must surprise many people but its because we belong to a different culture and class. In countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan it's not so easy; cultures and class still matter a lot here.
Q. When were you the happiest in life?
A. When I got admission into the Aga Khan University. Because I was/am the first person from Badakhshan (Afghanistan) to study here. [Ed. Congratulations Murid!!]
Q. What do you value the most?
My Religion. I am not a fundamentalist but I think it's religion that has shaped me the way I am today. And I feel very proud to be a Muslim in general, and an Ismaili in particular.
Q. What's the first question you'll ask God when you meet him?
Can I see my Imam (His Highness Shah Karim Al Hussaini, the Aga Khan) one more time before you send me somewhere again?
Did you connect with Murid's story? Leave him an encouraging comment below!