You have seen this picture. Many times. The haunting green eyes of Sharbat Gula, the Afghan Girl photographed by Steve McCurry and published on the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985 (On a side note, he returned in 2002 to find her and photograph her again).

This is a new one. A different Afghan Girl, photographed recently by Jodi Bieber, and on the cover of Time Magazine this month, July 2010.

This is Bibi Aisha, where at 16 years old the court pronounces her guilty of running away and decides on her punishment. Her husband, in accordance to the law, takes her to the mountains, cut off her ears and nose, and leave her to die. Luckily for her, she survived and has been flown to the US for treatment.

Thoughts and feelings

Life sucks. But we are certainly blessed to be in this country, where we can enjoy this kind of lifestyle. And this is where photography comes in, bringing to us a reminder, that things could be waaaay different on the other side, a side that we would never know about if not for photos. Till next time.

Update 12/10/10: Thanks for the Grossman Burn Foundation, Bibi Aisha now has a prosthetic nose fitted, with hopes of a permanent solution in the future (The Telegraph).