In the days following the rogue US soldier’s shooting spree in Kandahar, most of the media, us included, focused on the “backlash” and how it might further strain the relations with the US

In the days following the rogue US soldier’s shooting spree in Kandahar, most of the media, us included, focused on the “backlash” and how it might further strain the relations with the US

Many mainstream media outlets channeled a significant amount of  energy into uncovering the slightest detail about the accused soldier – now identified as Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. We even know where his wife wanted to go for vacation, or what she said on her personal blog.

But the victims became a footnote, an anonymous footnote. Just the number 16. No one bothered to ask their ages, their hobbies, their aspirations. Worst of all, no one bothered to ask their names.

In honoring their memory, I write their names below, and the little we know about them: that nine of them were children, three were women.

The dead:

• Mohamed Dawood son of Abdullah
• Khudaydad son of Mohamed Juma
• Nazar Mohamed
• Payendo
• Robeena
• Shatarina daughter of Sultan Mohamed
• Zahra daughter of Abdul Hamid
• Nazia daughter of Dost Mohamed
• Masooma daughter of Mohamed Wazir
• Farida daughter of Mohamed Wazir
• Palwasha daughter of Mohamed Wazir
• Nabia daughter of Mohamed Wazir
• Esmatullah daughter of Mohamed Wazir
• Faizullah son of Mohamed Wazir
• Essa Mohamed son of Mohamed Hussain
• Akhtar Mohamed son of Murrad Ali

 
The wounded:

• Haji Mohamed Naim son of Haji Sakhawat
• Mohamed Sediq son of Mohamed Naim
• Parween
• Rafiullah
• Zardana
• Zulheja 

This article was first published on Al-Jazeera’s English Website