Under The Persimmon Tree Quotes

Terrorists need everything to go their way, or they will kill or severely injure you if you don't obey. Although these extremist groups known as terrorist groups, are terrible they are happening, and many people are being abused because of it. The book I used in this essay is Under the Persimmon Tree, by Suzanne Fisher Staples. The book is about a family of four living in a small village. The mother is pregnant with a third child. The Taliban takes Baba-jan (father to the main character), and Nur (teenage boy, main character's brother) to fight, also they take all their remaining food, and supplies. Baba-jan is killed immediately after he was taken, along with all the other men in the village. Mada-jan (mother of the main character), and Habib

(newborn baby) were later murdered by an American bomb. The other side of this book was Nusrat. Nusrat was an American woman. When she lived in New York she met her later on husband Faiz, who is Pakistanian. When Faiz hears about this attack going on he feels he must go to help in the hospitals, Nusrat goes with him. Faiz gets killed while he was trying to help the wounded in the hospitals. Nusrat has a school she teaches at her house in Peshawar. When Najmahs family is all gone she goes go to Nusrats house, and Nusrat takes her in. Nur then also ends up at Nusrats house. Nur and Najmah decided to go back to Golestan. Nusrat decides to return home to New York. People not only in Under the Persimmon Tree are being hurt by the terrorists. Terrorists are killing many innocent people everywhere in the world. They need to be stopped. People are becoming very frightened by the threat of these terrorists, they are anxious to attend activities they would do on a normal basis.
Terrorists, such as the Taliban, made Najmah and Nusrat suffer excessively in the book Under the Persimmon Tree. Terrorism is usual in many places, but is still very concerning for the people that are there, "Bombs are not unusual in the bazaar, but she is afraid that gunfire will follow, as it often does." (Staples, 80). The Taliban has also affected Nusrat immensely, the Taliban was the reason Nusrat moved from New York, which led up to Faiz's death, also the reason for making Nusrat have to go through the hardest time dealing with her husband's death, without the reassurance that he is definitely gone. "She knows he is dead as surely as she knows that the almond trees will blossom in the spring. She no longer fools herself", (Staples, 230). Najmah has had many terrible encounters with terrorists specifically the Taliban. The Taliban has killed a majority of Najmahs family, including her baby brother and mother, "By the time I reach her she stares with glassy, dead eyes. Habib lies motionless a few feet behind her, facedown in the dirt", (Staples, 67). They have also killed her father "Baba-jan is dead", (Staples, 253). Nur says to Njamah after months of not seeing each other. Najmahs family was greatly altered by these terrorists. Three members of her family were killed by the Taliban. She herself was injured "after deafening thumps and roaring of the explosions, suddenly I hear nothing. My ears feel as if someone has clapped them hard, and the pressure in my head is terrible. I try to draw air into my chest, but it will not expand", (Staples, 66).
Countless amounts of people today are also being overwhelmed by terrorist groups such as Isis, the Taliban, and many other groups. Women have few rights under terrorists rule. Women have very strict laws that they need to obey, if they don't obey the rules harsh punishments will be given to them, "a woman caught trying to flee Afghanistan with a man not related to her was stoned to death for 'adultery” (Gouda), this type of punishment is often given. Women get killed for many unnecessary reasons. Men also get hurt/ killed but their laws give them more freedom unlike the women that are living under the same leadership, "one of the worst tales was one stating an elderly woman was brutally beaten with a metal cable until her leg was broken because her ankle was accidentally showing from underneath her burqa", (Gouda). These events are very extremely but are caused by the terrorist groups. Women suffer because of terrorist groups, but men also do. They can be; taken from their families, killed, tortured, and obligated to fight. Children are even affected by the terrorists, not only are their parents being taken away, but their older siblings could also be taken or their classmates, anyone they know could be killed at any moment, so they are always on high alert for these tragic events, "The Taliban was recently on the news the past week as they attacked a school near Peshawar bringing with them lots of ammo and guns. As well as explosives like a suicide belt" (Yan). People who are trying to do what they think is right and think they should be able to do in their own homes could be killed if the act they are doing is against the rules of the terrorist group. "A woman who defied Taliban orders by running a home school for girls was shot to death in front of her family and friends", (Gouda). Not only are the people being killed, but terrorists don't care who they kill the innocent people in front of, in some cases, they even prefer for the civilian family and friends to be there depending on the punishment given.
Terrorists are groups of extremists, with a goal to enforce their political or religious views upon all other people. They use violence and the fear to get their way. The people they attack are usually innocent bystanders that have no say in what they do and no way to protect themselves. There are many ways the terrorists do this. The Taliban in specific, “is a group of Sunni Muslims, located mainly in Afghanistan and Pakistan.” (Coskie). Some of the rules terrorists come up with are ridiculous, there are rules about the where women can go and with whom, and what men have to have as facial hair, and what religion they can practice, “some of the cruel rules the Taliban enforce are women forbidden to work outside of the home, men are needed to grow a long beard, and women are not allowed to leave the home without the company of a man." (Yan). Other rules are “people are also not suppose to have their own religion and they have to worship what the Taliban worships”, (Thibeault). There are laws that influence children that people in the United States would never even think of being a problem, but to the Taliban these are offensive and against their rules, "laws on children like you couldn't keep birds, no board games, no singing/ playing music, and no selling kids ice cream", (Yan). In the United States birds, board games, signings/ playing music, and getting ice cream, is considered fun and something kids need to do more often, but with the Taliban they are against the rules to do any of these activities.
Terrorists are hurting many countries, and people.

People have to live in fear because of them, and they are ruining some people's chance of freedom such as the refugees. The characters in Under the Persimmon Tree were all changed some way by the Taliban. People in the world now are being influenced and fearful of these terrorists. Terrorists enforce many laws that have to do with what they believe in and what they think is right. If you disagree, they will use violence to make you agree with their decisions. Terrorists scare people all around the world, some parts more than others. The thought of terrorists attacking anytime in a country where terrorism is common is always on these people's minds throughout the day. The people in America, and in the countries, terrorist groups have not affected directly yet might not fully feel the terrifying aspect of terrorist groups such as the Taliban, and Isis. The people in the parts of the world who have been directly altered by terrorists know the fear that comes with that. It is hard for people that haven't lived through terrorism near your community or in your community to fully understand what it's like to be panicked all the time over possible terrorist

attacks.