"The Place of Shining Light"
By Claire Chang Dec. 11, 2024
Amidst a land of political turmoil and the winding roads of the Middle East, survival hinges on swift thinking and outsmarting enemies. Three men from “The Place of Shining Light" by Nazneen Sheikh race to gain possession of a Bamiyan Buddha statue for various reasons—the motive for Khalid, a Pakistani antiquities dealer, is to illegally transport the statue from Afghanistan; Ghalib, an affluent art collector aspires to leverage his political power; and the protagonist Adeel, Khalid’s reputable former military officer, feels a resonating connection to the statue. When Adeel escapes, a high-stakes cat-and-mouse chase forces him to confront his moral compass, while navigating an environment driven by an unquenchable thirst for power.
After stealing Khalid’s truck, Adeel disguises himself and hides, finding a poor woman named Norbu who begs him to take her along with him. Although he originally resists, Adeel’s decision to help her poses a new conflict—their newfound alliance carries fatal consequences if revealed. Adeel grapples with his personal responsibility for the woman’s safety, eventually sending her off to Skardu to take the bus back home to her father. Norbu’s role in the story adds another layer of complexity, demonstrating how loyalty and honor are threatened by personal ambition and political affairs in Adeel’s race against time. As Adeel’s danger pushes his mission into jeopardy, his moral code is tested, and his personal honor to help others is inspiring.
Later, terrorists invade the place where Adeel and Norbu are hiding from government officials and Taliban associates. There, they attempt to lure Adeel her into a trap. Adeel drives along the road behind their car to a checkpoint, eventually triggering an explosion. The descriptive imagery transported me into the driver’s seat of Adeel’s truck; my heart constricted as the pressure rose from knowing that someone was watching Adeel’s every move. Amidst chaos, Adeel’s decision to protect innocence demonstrates that compassion may survive, contrasting with the surrounding environment that is consumed by greed and violence.
Essentially, war may reduce humankind to survival instincts and diminish personal and cultural identity—but Adeel’s story breaks norms and explores how humanity and ethical convictions are upheld during times of conflict.
About the Contributors
Claire Chang
page editor
Claire Chang is a junior at Leland High School, and she is the Investigative Report page editor and on the media team for her second year in journalism. When she is not chatting with her friends, she can be found crafting photo collages, working out or listening to music.
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