Our dreams of a democratic Afghanistan get shattered
In 2004, when the first free presidential election took place in Afghanistan, I was a seventh-grade student. For my country, that election was the second most important step after enacting a new inclusive constitution to build a democratic country.
Although I barely knew anything about voting rights or participatory democracy, I still felt proud and powerful. I thought my opinion and my vote mattered. Later, I studied at Kabul University, where I learned about democracy, the right to vote and freedom of speech. I voted in 2014 and 2019 amid the risk of being attacked by the Taliban. Back then, for me, as a media student, voting was not the only thing to do. I felt it was my responsibility to openly talk about its importance with pride. Posting on social media was another way to express myself and convince others to participate in democracy for future generations.
In 2015, I went to India to pursue a Masters degree in journalism at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. At Jamia, I saw people across faiths and different identities co-existing. Living and studying in a democratic and diverse environment gave me a dream and a goal — working for a democratic Afghanistan while preserving and relishing its cultural values. Although I had a job offer from All India Radio, I chose to return home to realise these dreams.
I joined the journalism department at
Kabul University, first as a teaching assistant and then a faculty member. Meeting and sharing thoughts with young students made me happy. I found them way more aware and enthusiastic about democratic values than many from my generation.
Meanwhile, we also witnessed corruption and rivalries among the different warlords sharing power. However, most of us thought this was part of a transition from decades of war and despotic rule of the Taliban. Even as war continued in the countryside, we kept hoping for peace and stability. I did not lose hope even when bomb blasts and suicide attacks killed people closer home in Kabul. Even the deadly attack on Kabul University last November, which killed 32 people, did not dampen our resolve. Just two days after the attack, while everyone was still traumatised, the university resumed classes. We wore black to express our grief and to show our determination.
Such acts of solidarity and defiance also made me realise that I was not the only one rooting for a democratic Afghanistan. Almost everyone my age has a similar story. The new generation of Afghanistan, those who went to schools and universities after 2001, and took part in elections, thought it could build a society that would set an example for other nations around us. We were confident and were counting on our partners in the international community: Europeans, Americans, Indians, Arab nations, and others who came to our country in the aftermath of 9/11.
Do not get me wrong. We were not expecting sympathy. Our confidence was pragmatic and based on a common interest. Afghans have been fighting a war on behalf of the world — the war on terrorism. The world had no choice but to stand by our side. This is what we hoped for. The international community did take some initiatives but ultimately we were left to fend for ourselves.
Afghans were horrified when Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States (US) Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, signed the Doha agreement with the Taliban in February 2020. The US kept the elected government of Afghanistan out of this deal. It also treated the Taliban as a parallel government. Soon, the Taliban appeared as “honourable guests” in Moscow,
Tehran, and Beijing. Our biggest disappointment is not the departure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces from Afghanistan; it is the treatment of the Taliban by the international community as a legitimate force, equating it with Afghanistan’s elected government.
While the Taliban is gaining more territory inside the country and gaining political leverage abroad, many of us live in the fear of being executed. We stand vulnerable to the atrocities of the Taliban. Why? Because we dream of a democratic society. Because we refuse to live under a regime of terror.