They've Found Her!!!!!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

You know the Afghan girl with the piercing eyes on the National Geographic cover? They’ve finally locatedher!!! NPR’s going to have a story about it tomorrow morning.

Apparently, she’s only been photographed twice in her life. Both times for National Geographic. She’s married and has three daughters (Damn!), but has faired well, considering where she’s living. National Geographic says she will benefit from some of the earnings from her photograph, but doesn’t say what. They’ve also set up a fund to benefit Afghan girls.

Sharbat Gula (that’s her name), doesn’t want to have any contact with the reporters or fans and has moved to an undisclosed location since National Geographic found her.

2

So THAT’S who’s been in my backyard!

3

Those are great news. I have always wanted to know what had happened to her.

4

Now how cool is that?

Astounding. :cool:

5

Am I the only person who opened this thread thinking it was going to be about Chandra Levy?

6

I’m with you there, reprise

7

Here is a link to the National Geographic story.

8

I didn’t want to be the first to admit it, but me too… :stuck_out_tongue:

Zev Steinhardt

9

Am I the only person that would be freakin’ scared to meet that girl in anything but broad daylight? I mean… she looks evil :eek:

10

Wow, that’s totally cool. I love that photo. Good to know she’s doing okay.

(I, also, thought it was going to be about Chandra. Weird, huh?)

11

Well, I think she’s beautiful, in a haunting sort of way. I’m glad she’s getting some of the money from the photo, and that some is going to help the Afghani women.

But I really posted to say: Tuckerfan, Wow! You put what I wrote in your sig - I am so honored!

12

I just came back from a lecture at the National Geographic, and the president of NGS came out and told us about it, and showed the news story. Very cool.

13

I thought it was that little girl from Oregon.

But it’s good that she’ll get some benefit from the photo.

14

I’m extremely interested, since I have never heard of this girl, but neither of the links work! help!

Jenny*

15

{quote]I’m extremely interested, since I have never heard of this girl, but neither of the links work! help!
[/quote]

Weird. I just clicked on the link I posted earlier, and it worked for me. FWIW, I got the URL at work (I couldn’t post there because just as I got it, SDMB went down “for backups”) and forwarded it to my home computer.

I didn’t notice the other link in the OP before, but I just tried it and http://www.nationalgeographic.com is not responding. I got the URL I posted by typing in that URL at work, and it took me to the magma.nationalgeographic page. Don’t know what’s up with that, but as I said the link I posted worked a minute ago.

Anyway, her photo was on the cover of a 1985 National Geographic. IIRC, it was recently voted the “best photo” by that magazine. In 1979 or 1980 (I forget which) the now-defunct Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and set up a puppet government. The Afghans, being a proud and somewhat warlike people, took umbrage at this turn of events. Guerilla warriors called the Mujahadin fought them much as the Viet Cong fought the U.S. in the Vietnam War. The situation became known as “Russia’s Vietnam”.

The United States supplied weapons such as the Stinger shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile to the Mujahadin, and also trained many of them. Eventually Soviet casualties became too high and the Soviet Union pulled out of Afghanistan.

In the midst of the fighting were left thousands of refugees. One of them, Sharbat Gula, the girl in the photo, fled with her brother to Pakistan. Sharbat is 28, 29 or 30 now, which means that she was about 13 when the photo was taken.

Anyway, that’s the background of the photo. Try the link later, as it’s a great photo and a compelling story. Good luck.

16

The above post should have begun with:

Weird. I just clicked on the link I posted earlier, and it worked for me. FWIW, I got the URL at work (I couldn’t post there because just as I got it, SDMB went down “for backups”) and forwarded it to my home computer.

17

Her eyes have lost their luster.

Sad.

18

No, it’s her mouth. It’s turned down. She looks like life has been hard on her since 1984. Which I have no doubt is the truth.

If she’s even alive in another 18 years, I wonder what she’ll look like? No doubt she’ll look like the grandmother of your average American woman of the same age.

19

Yes, I too first thought of Chandra Leavy.

I think it’s cool that she’s been found. I bought the National Geographic’s Best 100 photos issue, and the photographer seemed so wistful that he never could find her again.

I think she’s got the most captivating eyes I’ve ever seen. But then, who hasn’t thought that?

20

That is simply amazing…I’ve ALWAYS wondered where she could be…thanx for the link!!! Going to go buy that issue next month:D