Some kind of "thank you"!

See The Southern Illinoisan : Soldier fulfilling promise to deliver Afghani rug to president by Becky Malkovich (July 17, 2006), for a wonderful story. As in wonder full.

Hat's off to everyone involved. There's a lot of heart shown here.

Short version: an old man, grateful that his people were being rescued from the Taliban, spent a year hand-knotting a rug of his own design to give to President Bush and the American people. He did this even though at the time he could have been killed if caught doing it. And then an American soldier was asked to deliver it for him...

Hat tip: Betsy's Page and The Anchoress.

P.S. If crafters' blogs don't pick this story up, I'm going to be somewhat disappointed. This is heroic crafting, if ever there was such.

P.P.S. Although the rugmaker is Muslim, he made the rug with Christian symbols. (Mighty decent of him, don't you think?) I'd just as soon not hear any quibbling over the fact that he used Catholic imagery for a Protestant president, thanks. It's close enough, don't you think?