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Afghan cyclists present UN chief with peace message

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In this photo provided by the United Nations, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, center-right, meets with Nader Shah Nangarhari, right, and his son Firoz Khan, left, on the grounds of United Nations headquarters, Friday, May 20, 2016. The father and son team are on a round-the-world trip to promote peace. At center-left is Afghan ambassador to the United Nations, Mahmoud Saikal. (Eskinder Debebe/The United Nations via AP)

Two Afghan cyclists on a round-the-world trip to promote peace presented United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with a traditional silk embroidered chapan coat on Friday, along with a message saying their countrymen are tired of war and violence.

Nadir Shah Nangarhari and his 17-year-old son Feruz Kahn began their journey in Afghanistan travelling some 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometres) since July 2015 in an attempt to show the world that there is another side to Afghanistan beyond what people see on the news.

“It’s a pleasure to deliver our peace message to his excellency, I feel so good,” Kahn said. “Today is the best day. When the ambassador said secretary-general Ban wanted to meet us, I was so surprised.”

Kahn said he and his father now plan to cycle to Los Angeles before flying to Australia to continue their trek.

Ban commended the cyclists for their courage and sported the purple and green chapan coat, made popular in the West by former-Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

“You have been sending out a strong message to many people around the world with your bicycling … It’s a very powerful message … I really appreciate it,” Ban told the cyclists.

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