Australia’s olive branch to Afghan refugees is welcome, but it’s only the first step to healing the scars of the past

‘Here in Australia, a vibrant Afghan community is already living in harmony with its new Aussie identity. The influx of more Afghans will reunite families torn apart by the war and complement the diversity of this beautiful land.’ Photograph: Alana Holmberg/Oculi for The Guardian

For many of my friends and neighbours in Kabul, cricket was the only reason to know Australia.It was like that across Afghanistan for decades until the 2020 revelation of alleged war crimes by the Aussies in Uruzgan province, and now the Morrison government’s announcement of 16,500 extra humanitarian visas for Afghan refugees.

When I look now at how my war-ravaged countrymen and women view the Aussies, I see despair and anger next to a ray of hope.