ALEP Pays Tribute to Beloved Colleague and Friend, Professor Naqib Khpulwak.

Events and Updates 8

Dear Naqib,

We always knew when we would write to check on the law faculty and students after an attack in Kabul that you would be among the first to respond. You would even go so far as to provide words of encouragement to us. Safe on our campus in California, you wanted to reassure us that all was ok and that we shouldn’t worry about your resilience in the face of terrorism and hatred. Following an attack one year ago on August 10, 2015, you wrote:

All,
We are all safe so far. Thanks for asking. The terrorists want to terrorize us, we refuse to give in. We were in a meeting today when the blast happened less than a kilometer away from where we were. Trust me, it did not stop us from our work, not for one minute. This tells me the terrorists will not succeed. Everyday passing, people hate them more and keep on doing their work. I work 12 hours per day six days a week this summer. This is my response to them.
Best Regards,
Naqib

Where you found that otherworldly strength and grace, we do not know. But because we witnessed it firsthand so many times, your silence in response to our inquiries yesterday spoke volumes. It is now deafening.

You taught, you loved, you inspired, and you believed in the power of opportunity to transform lives until the very moment the terrorists forcefully stopped you. You had so much left to give, and now it is our responsibility and privilege to carry forward the work you did not get to finish. This is not how your story was supposed to end, but your legacy will carry on. And those who seek to sow fear and hate still will not succeed.

Rest in peace, dear friend. Your colleagues, students, and everyone involved with the Afghanistan Legal Education Project at Stanford Law School and American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) will never forget you.

For more about Professor Khpulwak’s life and longstanding affiliation with Stanford Law School, please see the article published in the Stanford Lawyer magazine: http://stanford.io/2c1xlZV