Mr. SALIMI: And I said let the governments fight and let the public create art in culture of coexistence.

NPR: 'Beyond the Mirror': Afghanistan's Pain Onstage

Salimi says the transplants were longing to feel a sense of identity, and some of the old songs his company sang would make them cry.

NPR: 'Beyond the Mirror': Afghanistan's Pain Onstage

So when a New York-based company called Bond Street Theater traveled to the refugee camps of Pakistan, everyone told them they should talk to Salimi.

NPR: 'Beyond the Mirror': Afghanistan's Pain Onstage