Taliban

In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, while the US, Pakistan, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia offered support to anti-communist Muslim Afghan fighters, the mujahedeen. Over the ensuing years, the Soviet forces were pushed out of Afghanistan, however, not before much of the country was in complete disrepair. Small factions in Afghans fought for control over the country which allowed for the Taliban to come into fruition and gain traction.

In 1996, the Taliban took control of Kabul and hung the former president Mohammad Najibullah. There was a drastic change in the way that people lived their lives after the Taliban took control. Women were especially affected by this, as they were now forced to wear a chadari, a veil that covers the entire body of a woman. They were also not allowed to be outdoors without being escorted by a man. The Taliban also banned the use of the tv, internet, board games, movies, and musical instruments. Men were required to grow beards, and many Hazara people are discriminated against based on their ethnicity.

The United States and United Nations took actions against the Taliban in the form of bombings and embargos. However, the Taliban continued to commit atrocities against other people, along with their religions and culture.

Over the next 12 years, there is intense conflict within Afghanistan as the United States, the Northern Alliance, NATO, and other countries fight for control over the country. They were able to push out the Taliban in many parts of the country but faced dire consequences. Hundreds of suicide bombings and attacks caused many causalities.

Ahmedi was born in 1987 right around the time when the Soviets were being forced out of Afghanistan. The mujahedeen had taken back control of Kabul and sparked conflict between smaller factions that all wanted to take control. Ahmedi deals with these people daily, they don’t seem to want to destroy the city. Her family lives a relatively normal life, Ahmedi is still able to go to school, her father still works and runs his company. There are times when they are forced to hide away from bombings, but it is usually somewhat rare.

After Ahmedi’s accident with the landmine, she is torn away from Afghanistan and her family to go to Germany where she will be treated by a much better medical system. She is gone for two years, and during this time, two years created a huge difference. Much of Kabul had been destroyed and the factions fought each other for control over the city. While they fought each other, a bigger, more organized group was gaining traction in the Southern part of Afghanistan. The Taliban were moving north towards Kabul and no one in the city was prepared for it.

In 1996, the Taliban finally reached Kabul, with most of the seven factions that fought for control, retreating north. There was a drastic change in the way that people lived their lives after the Taliban took control. Ahmedi was forced to see this herself, but fortunately she lived to tell her story.

Sources:

Timeline: Taliban in Afghanistan. ALJAZEERA, 4 July 2009, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2009/03/2009389217640837.html. Accessed 4 Sep. 2018.

Zhumatov, Shamil. Blasts Rock Kabul. NBC News, 26 Feb. 2003, https://www.nbcnews.com/slideshow/blasts-rock-kabul-35599400. Accessed 4 Sep. 2018.

Who are the Taliban?. BBC News, 26 May 2016, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11451718. Accessed 5 Sep. 2018.

Neta C. Crawford, Boston University. Costs of War: Update on the Human Costs of War for Afghanistan and Pakistan, 2001 to mid-2016. 2016, https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2016/War%20in%20Afghanistan%20and%20Pakistan%20UPDATE_FINAL_corrected%20date.pdf.