A Worldly Neighbor

Just several miles east of my house, lives Dr. Hassan Sultanzada. Who, you may ask? A man who welcomed me into his home today, and let me explore his private library.  Our meeting was a pleasure of an intellectual kind as well as a social kind for he was down to earth, often cited poetry and proverbs to send his message across, and asked engaging questions. I borrowed fifteen books, thanked him and left. Tonight, I started going through these books. I was surprised to find out that Mr. Sultanzada has not been to his native Afghanistan for almost two decades. But his impressive collection, which he has lovingly collected and ordered from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan over the years, truly made a lasting impression on me. In every book or anthology that I open, there is a thank you note addressed to him for subscribing or making financial contributions. His support and passion for the culture and literature of Iran and Afghanistan is not just admirable, but enviable. He told me, “Book shelves are a prison cell for books, they need to fly into the hands of the youth, those most hungry to read them.”

I am thankful to Mr. Aslam Kazimi for introducing us. My life is richer after knowing Hassan Sultanzada. The wisdom of these two men is an irreplaceable treasure, preciously at our disposal today.