Father of Afghan Robotics Team Captain Is Killed in Suicide Bombing – New York Times

Most of the dead were buried on Wednesday at Ziarat Sultan Agha cemetery. Thousands of mourners, grieving aloud and chanting prayers, accompanied the coffins of the victims, who ranged from a man in his 70s to a 3-year-old child who had accompanied his father to prayer.

We never had such a big crowd for funerals; people came from all ethnic groups and religious sects, said Qudos Yassenzada, a local elder on the committee that helped arrange the burials.

The Afghan robotics team attracted international attention after its members visa requests to attend First Global, a competition with participants from 150 countries, were rejected twice.

After a public outcry, President Trump reportedly intervened to let them travel to the United States. Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter and adviser, met with the team and said it was a privilege and an honor to have you all with us.

The team was awarded a silver medal for courageous achievement.

I am so excited, and very, very happy, Fatemah said at the competition, turning the medal over in her hands. I still cant believe this happened.

The girls returned home to a heroes welcome, with leaders holding receptions for them and awarding them plaques.

Their success shows that Afghan girls, despite the challenges, can be good inspirations in the field of knowledge and technology, President Ashraf Ghani said in congratulating the team.

Ten days later, Fatemahs father was killed, highlighting how short-lived moments of happiness can be amid the increasing violence taking civilian lives. Fatemah probably had not had a chance to tell all the stories of her trip and the international reception to her father, the BBC Persian site noted.

The attackers, reportedly two of them, entered the mosque as hundreds had gathered for evening prayers. They shot at the worshipers indiscriminately before blowing themselves up. Mr. Qaderyan was shot five times, and his body also had shrapnel wounds, Mr. Yassenzada said.

Upon returning from the United States, Fatemah had expressed concern about the safety of her team, saying the exposure might bring unwanted attention.

We appeared in front of national and international media, and in our country this is still dangerous that Afghan girls appear before the media, she told Abdullah Abdullah, the Afghan governments chief executive. Our security should be looked after.

Mr. Yassenzada said the Qaderyan family was poor, largely relying on the income of one of the sons who has a shop in Herat city.

On Thursday, Fatemah sat at the womens funeral hall in the city, where people had come to pay their respects. She was grieving, flanked by two of her teammates from the robotics team.

A version of this article appears in print on August 4, 2017, on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: Bomb Kills Father of Afghan Robotics Team Leader.

Excerpt from:

Father of Afghan Robotics Team Captain Is Killed in Suicide Bombing - New York Times