AFGHAN VOICES. Messages From Those Most Impacted by Afghanistan’s Fall

“Please Don’t Abandon Us” - Kay’s Message.

Kay is a human rights and women's rights activist who was active and visible in Afghan media in the years leading up to the Taliban takeover. She is Hazara, a minority ethnic group which speaks a dialect of Persian, practices Shia, and is native to central Afghanistan. Kay remains stranded in Afghanistan, and her real name is being withheld in the interest of her safety. Because of her precarious situation, Diplomatic Courier spoke with her on the phone with the help of an interpreter. 

The following interview is compiled from these notes with her permission, maintaining her voice as much as possible.

Kay fled her home city of Mazar three days before it fell to the Taliban. She was able to safely travel to Kabul, but days later Kabul fell to the Taliban as well. She attempted to evacuate through the Kabul airport but was prevented from doing so. She told us that because she is an ethnic minority, Taliban checkpoints would not allow her to pass. 

Kay has received emails and messages of support from friends abroad and others who want to help. However, there has thus far been little they have been able to do to support her evacuation efforts. In early October, Kay reached out to various international organizations and governments of the USA, Canada, several EU countries, and Australia. As of the middle of October when Diplomatic Courier spoke with her, however, she had not received responses to any of these efforts. 

Kay expressed her deep worries about the situation. Her case is good - she is clearly in danger because of her human rights activism, her media visibility, and her ethnicity. Yet nobody has been able to help and there has been no apparent action from institutions to support her case despite a clear need. 

We asked Kay to tell us about the biggest challenges she is facing day-to-day. She told us that as a young single woman - and especially as an ethnic minority - she is in a very precarious situation with the Taliban in power. There are no protections for her, and her life is in danger daily. 

Her message to the world and to those with power: 

To the international community, human rights defenders, and those who value human rights: do not recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government. If the world recognizes the Taliban, we will let Afghanistan go back in time and the country’s women, girls, and youth will suffer greatly. She is still more vulnerable because her family is all outside of Afghanistan, so she is completely alone and lost her job due to unrest.

While Kay is under particularly acute threat due to her social activism, she stressed to us that her situation is similar to that faced by many other single women who are unprotected and potential targets. Kay told us that she feels and is trapped. Living alone, she has no ability to work or to care for herself. She is desperately seeking any temporary assistance to get to safety. Kay also asked us to speak to other scholars, university employees, and others who can speak to the situation. She provided us with contact information for several such individuals, primarily women, in hopes we could speak with them.

When asked what message she would like to have conveyed to the world at large, Kay had this to say. Note that quotes are paraphrased via an interpreter but are as close to her voice as possible.

“Please do not abandon Afghanistan’s religious minorities who are under extreme danger from all sides (ISIS and Taliban). Minorities are being targeted and killed in coordinated attacks and they are forced to flee, and their properties and belongings are being seized. They lack basic human rights.

Our youth, our researchers, our scholars are now all exposed.”

At the time of this writing, Kay remains healthy and free, but is not safe. She successfully left Kabul but remains in hiding anonymously elsewhere in the country.

“Legitimizing the Taliban Sacrifices Afghanistan’s Minorities” - Alex’s Message.

‍“Alex” is an Afghan native who is a former government contractor supporting U.S. forces in Afghanistan with IT and communication services. He is an SIV recipient who, in recognition of his service, was able to leave Afghanistan several years ago with his family. Alex has been working with a variety of charities and government agencies to get Afghans who face genuine threats from the Taliban out of the country. Alex has agreed to speak with Diplomatic Courier over the phone to tell us his story. His name and other identifiable information have been anonymized for security purposes. 

This is the transcript of Alex’s interview, edited for anonymity and readability.

1. As a former contractor for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, can you explain how easy or difficult it was for you to get an SIV visa and come to the United States? 

When I came to the United States, the SIV requirement was much different than it is today. It took a long time; there was a requirement of 2 years of service, lots of paperwork, a recommendation by a U.S. sponsor, proof of service to the government. I was eligible, and got my SIV through that process.

There were some challenges, largely due to difficulties on the Afghan side, relating to the background of who you are and your ethnicity. Many Afghans were employed by the U.S. government to help process SIV paperwork, so discrimination could cause problems for SIV applicants. I experienced discrimination from Afghan employees due to my ethnicity, so I had to get my paperwork processed by a U.S. embassy outside Afghanistan.

2. How did that process differ, in your experience, from the process faced by Afghans in the past 3-4 months who have been trying to leave Afghanistan on SIV or humanitarian visas?

Currently, Afghans face a lot more challenges than we faced. With the withdrawal of U.S. forces, the situation has changed a lot. The U.S. embassy is closed and even before it closed, employees were clearing sensitive data. This meant that some SIV applicants’ data and approvals were lost.

Furthermore, as there is now no local presence from the United States in Afghanistan, any processing which requires in-person interaction is impossible. The U.S. embassies in Tajikistan and Pakistan have barely been processing SIV applications from Afghanistan, even for Afghans who have managed to travel there for the process. Further, there have been indications that they will no longer process these, which makes the challenge even larger. The U.S. government has been thinking about virtual interviews, but the safety of virtual interviews is still at question and no final decisions have been reached.

Many Afghans are struggling to get to the in-person interview step because an American sponsor must have signed a recommendation for the SIV program. When an application is submitted, the people processing the visa will seek to reach out to the U.S. sponsor. Most sponsors will have given their government emails or phone numbers that in most cases are no longer active as they were Afghan phone numbers or military emails which would have been deactivated. This could lead to totally valid applications being denied.

3. In your work today trying to help Afghans evacuate, are there any international or national institutions that stand out as having been especially helpful or difficult to work with? 

Honestly, overall we see many helping hands and people that want to help, but due to high level policies and bureaucratic hurdles they often face limitations in what they can do. Some of these are policies established by the U.S. government … the eligibility for evacuation is still not well-defined in some areas. For instance, what constitutes an at-risk Afghan remains unclear, as some Afghans are at more critical risk than others. The current U.S. policy on evacuations doesn’t consider ethnic minorities like Hazaras as being at more critical risk even though they supported U.S. forces and are at a high risk of retaliation. 

While all non-Pashtuns are at greater risk from the Taliban, Hazaras in particular are being targeted by the Taliban as well as ISIS-K because so many supported the United States. The situation is further complicated by the requirement to have recommendations signed by a U.S. sponsor. There were very few U.S. personnel stationed in the Hazara-majority areas. Because the Hazaras supported the United States, there was very little unrest and thus less need for a U.S. presence. That meant fewer opportunities for sponsorship and now they are paying the price for their support of the U.S. intervention. 

Because high-level policies don’t recognize the increased risk for groups like the Hazara who supported U.S. forces, they are now trapped and living in extreme danger of violence from the Taliban. Non-Pashtuns have been targeted for attacks and forceful displacement even in the past few years. The situation is only becoming worse with Taliban and ISIS reprisals now that U.S. forces have left. 

4. If you had a message that you could get across to the public at large, what would it be?

Thank you for asking this question. The most important message that I have for the public is: do not forget the people who supported the U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. Please continue to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, but make sure the aid is properly channeled to reach the hands of those most in need. Do not provide aid without conditions that prevent it from reaching the Taliban because any aid that reaches the Taliban will not reach the wider public in Afghanistan. Most of the ethnic and religious minorities in particular will be unable to get aid unless it is directly delivered by aid organizations.

And please, please do not recognize the Taliban government currently ruling in Afghanistan. Do not recognize them as a legitimate government because if you do, you sacrifice the over 60% of the Afghan population which comes from other ethnic and religious minority groups. While Pashtuns comprise much of Afghanistan, the majority of Afghanistan is not Pashtun. It is a country of minorities. If the Taliban regime is recognized, the majority of the population will face isolation, discrimination, violence, and negligence. Then, we will see the biggest human rights crisis in Afghanistan’s history.

“I Fear for the U.S. Soldier Who Saved My Life” - Ali’s Message.

Ali worked for the American University of Afghanistan ( AUAF) and Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission ( AIHRC) advocating for inclusion of war victims in the peace process. He is a Fulbright Scholar and holds a master degree from Texas A&M University, Bush School of government and public service. 

Ali agreed to share his story with us. What follows is that story, in his words.

My name is Ali. For most of my career, I worked for the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF). Most recently, I was the Director of Admissions and an instructor.

Before the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban, my family and I went to Islamabad to interview for a U.S. visa as I had been accepted into a PhD program in the United States. Our visa was placed in administrative processes, but we returned to Kabul when I received a new job offer..

The fall of Kabul was so abrupt and unexpected. We are so angry and frustrated about how all of this happened and how the previous government failed us. A day before Kabul fell, my colleagues and I had a conversation and our best analysis was that the Taliban would not be able to enter Kabul militarily for six months to one year. We were wrong.

When the Taliban took over, my world changed and I felt threatened. In my job, I was the face of an American liberal arts university that promoted many values that the Taliban detested. They  had even attacked the university in 2016. My team and I were promoting those values in provinces and schools as recruiters and admissions officers.

I started knocking on every door to help me with the evacuation and put me on a list. I contacted my professors at Texas A&M University, my former boss in Washington, DC, who I had worked with as a research fellow during my graduate studies, and the leadership of the American University of Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, the American University's leadership didn’t respond. Worse, they put all staff and students in danger by failing to destroy identifying materials. Everyone else responded, expressing support and sympathy. My professors wrote to the State Department that I was in danger and should be evacuated. My former boss in Washington contacted senators and congressmen and women to help me. I am forever grateful to every one of them.

The wait was excruciating. My wife and I took shelter at home, reduced our contacts and checked our emails constantly hoping to get good news. We contacted everyone that we thought could help. For us, it was a fight for survival and a future for our 18-month old son. We were so angry that my job offer had brought us back to Kabul. If anything had happened to my son and wife, I wouldn't have forgiven myself as I had brought them from Islamabad back to Kabul only two weeks before. I felt guilty, demoralized, and threatened.

I waited until August 25, hoping to hear something and depart for the airport. It was the longest wait of my life. Except for necessary grocery shopping, we were confined at home. We were not prepared to face the Taliban. Our values were different, I had spoken and written against them and suddenly they were our rulers with the full power to shape our lives and futures. It was as tragic as it was unacceptable to us.

On August 25, my wife, son, and I decided to go to the airport. After hours of struggling through crowds of people, I was finally able to get close to an American soldier at the Abbey gate and briefly introduced myself. This was the day of a major, fatal explosion which occurred four or five hours after we were let in.

The situation at the airport was extremely chaotic, like a doomsday. Everyone was struggling to leave the country. U.S. forces at the airport were under tremendous pressure. Many people who had come didn’t have proper documentation or a reason to leave. We waited in front of the gate for a whole day and night. When we were in and waiting for initial Biometrics, the alarm bell went off and there was an explosion. We waited another night before we were flown to Bahrain, then Italy, where we stayed for ten days. Currently, we are in a camp in New Mexico, waiting to be transferred. 

When reflecting back, my heart hurts for the many eligible people who could not make it out. The evacuation process was poorly executed and many couldn't make it. I also think about the U.S. soldier who took my hand, lifted me from the crowd, and saved my life. I hope he made it to safety before the explosion, as it happened right where he had been standing.

If I could share a message with the world, it would be this. Afghanistan is going to have difficult times under the Taliban. Although the group has announced public amnesty to improve their image and PR, there are credible reports that they are targeting members of security forces from the previous government, NGOs workers and minority groups. The United States and other countries should pressure the Taliban to stop these brutal practices and resume the evacuation plan for those who are at risk and could not make it to safety in the previous evacuation.‍

When We Lost Hope, JHR Helped Us Flee” - Reza’s Message.

Reza is a Board Member of Marefat Civil Capacity Building Organization and a Board member  of Mother Trust Organization. He has worked for the Global Communities, The Asia Foundation, Development Alternatives Inc. and the Government of Afghanistan. He has a MSc in Public Policy from University of Bristol and BA in Social Sciences from Kabul University.

Reza agreed to share his story with us. What follows is that story, in his words.

My family and I left Afghanistan on October 12, 2021, aboard a flight from Kabul to Islamabad. 

Prior to the collapse of the Republic, I was in communication with several American friends, expressing my concerns that the Afghan government had been losing control, both morally and territorially, to the Taliban since early January 2021. One friend (Jessica), a Washington D.C.-based author, promised to get an invitation so my family could leave Afghanistan. I told her that I still thought there was some time.

She sent an invitation letter in May so that my family and I could come to the United States on a tourist visa. We decided to try to leave by tourist visa even though I was eligible for an SIV visa. This is because I had already applied for an SIV two years previously but the process was severely delayed due to the pandemic. However, the American Embassy in Kabul also experienced delays processing tourist visas. 

By this time, it was clear that things were NOT going in the right direction and that the government was going to fall into the hands of the Taliban quickly. 

My main argument with friends, both in and outside of Afghanistan was that although the United States had established a centralized government in Afghanistan that was controlled by Ashraf Ghani and his circle, there was sympathy between former President Ghani and Taliban. This sympathy was because both Ghani and the Taliban have an ethno-centric agenda for ruling Afghanistan, which would be the end of democracy for Afghanistan. Ghani was already replacing his inner circle with mostly Pashtun officials to facilitate the Taliban’s acceptance at the Ministry of Interior, excluding minority Hazara and Uzbek groups. 

Many of my friends and family were losing hope by that time. I know of families that paid as much as $5,000 for black market tourist visas out of desperation. My wife asked me to leave the country without a visa or try to buy a visa for myself and go. Because of my work in the Afghan government and with several American organizations, my face is well-known to the Taliban and sympathetic Afghan officials. I told her that I would not go without her or our three kids.  Although I received many threats from the Taliban, I preferred to die before leaving my family behind. Instead, I applied to the Canadian Afghan resettlement program and quickly received a file number. 

On August 13, I asked my colleagues at the last organization I worked with, the Marefat Civil Capacity Building Organization (MCCBO), to hide the organization’s valuable assets. On August 15, the Taliban took control of the Presidential Palace. Two Board members of MCCBO went to the Kabul Airport to seek evacuation. For the first time in my life, I could not sleep for several nights and days. 

On August 16 and 17, I contacted friends who had been evacuated from the Kabul Airport. I also shared my observations about three evacuation entrances with my networks and a high-profile individual. This included very bad behavior of UNIT 01 with non-Pashtun forces at the Airport, worse even than the Taliban. I observed the Afghan-Security Unit 01 not allowing people with proper documents to enter the airport, but the two other entrances were under the control of the Taliban. 

The IRCC sent a facilitation letter to assist in our evacuation on August 23. We coordinated with the IRCC to reach the Baron Gate Hotel to await evacuation, but the Taliban blocked our way and they beat me and some other people. Firing in the air, they forced us to flee back to our homes. By the next morning, the IRCC was advising us to avoid the airport due to security threats. 

My family was losing hope and wanted me to flee on my own. My parents wanted me to illegally cross into Pakistan, as the border was now officially closed. Late that night, Jessica asked me to take my family on a bus for Mazar-city. The journey was difficult, passing several Taliban checkpoints. Luckily, I had an old ID card from the Taliban era and although one of our children became very ill on the long journey, we arrived safely to the Zar-Afshan International Guest House. 

The guest house was like a paradise for us. After we arrived in our room, I was able to buy water, chips, and juice for the kids. This little room had one single and one double bed. I slept on the floor so that the kids should have more space. 

However, rumors that the Taliban had begun searching the guest house forced us to flee. We stayed for more than two weeks with family as I tried to secure visas, but flights were severely delayed. During this time, I was in contact with Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) and Rosa Hwang from the CTV News. Together we decided that I should return to Kabul and hide while applying for Pakistan visas on the black market. We were severely overcharged for these visas, and they took my passport and would not respond to us for sixteen days. 

During this time, the National Endowment for Democracy stepped in to help us apply for an Albanian e-visa. They were very helpful and ultimately, our e-visas were approved. However, our evacuation plan was delayed and we were unable to evacuate with NED. After discussing with the JHR, we decided that I should travel with my family to Pakistan on board a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight. In preparation my wife, oldest son, and I got a PCR test for the flight but more flight delays affected the validity of our results. 

After getting new tests for the later flight, my family and I arrived at the Kabul Airport. However, PIA staff told us our names were not on the day’s flight and they also insisted on a PCR test for my 8-year-old son even though their policy only required this for ages 10 and up. I contacted the JHR for help and they coordinated with the PIA headquarters in Islamabad to address the situation. It was past midnight in Canada by then but they were still helping us and replying to our messages and concerns. I cannot find the words to thank them. 

Eventually a PIA staff member agreed to issue boarding passes but ultimately we were unable to board that flight before it left. I thanked my contacts at JHR (Rachel and Rangina) for their help and for staying with us throughout this, then returned home with my family. The next day, the PIA informed us we would be able to board a flight the following day, which would be October 12. On this flight, despite several delays, my family and I were able to enter Islamabad. 

Now, thankfully, we are settled at Ambassador Suites while we wait for our Canadian immigration visas. We hope the paperwork by the IRCC and the Canadian embassy will be done in 2-4 weeks.