Afghans in No Mood to Forgive Killers (A parliamentary resolution on immunity for war crimes has the country in an uproar.)

Forgive and forget may be a noble aspiration, but it is not playing well in Afghanistan today. A wide spectrum of public opinion, both at home and abroad, has weighed in against a parliamentary resolution passed on January 31, which would grant blanket immunity for war crimes. --- Many of those who stand accused of war crimes by human rights organisations are now in positions of power within the government. There are several behind the resolution itself. -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, expressed concern at the resolution, stating that it “will undermine the process towards securing long term peace through re-establishing the rule of law in Afghanistan”. -- “I lost two brothers, two uncles, how can I forgive?” said Mohammad Rafi, 24, who sells phone cards on the streets of Kabul. "Karzai is chosen by the people. Karzai represents people not these criminals. I hope Karzai doesn't stand by these killers and instead stands by the nation."“Parliament is a shelter for criminals,” said Mohammad Akram, 45, a shopkeeper in Kabul. “They are granting forgiveness for themselves.”