We publish the full interview to Murtaza Haqiqi – a young Afghan man who currently is studying for his master’s in Iran. He shared with Mission Outlook his struggle about what’s happening in Afghanistan, after the Taliban took over the country on August 15th.
Hi dear Pietro!
I’m very happy to be with the listeners of your podcast in this episode. Thank you for allowing me to talk to you more about myself, my country, and my people.
Hi Murtaza, tell me a bit about yourself
Well, my name is Murtaza Haqiqi and I am 26 years old. I was born and raised in Afghanistan. I live with my parents and my brother in Mazar-e-Sharif, a city in the north of Afghanistan. I completed my school education and also undergraduate studies in economics at Balkh University in Mazar-e-Sharif’s city. I have already completed my master’s degree in development economics at Razi University in Iran.
So you are in Iran. Why did you move there and when? How was your life in Afghanistan?
Yes, I’m in Iran now and I wanted to return to Afghanistan after getting my diploma and documents, but unfortunately, I couldn’t return home due to the grievous events of the last month. My mother tongue is Persian and my parents have been immigrants in Iran for more than a decade. Since the official language of Iran is Persian and there are many commonalities and cultural unions between Iran and Afghanistan, this country is one of the suitable, close, and cheap options for living and studying for Afghans. For this reason, I also came to Iran with a scholarship to study for a master’s degree in September 2018, and I have been here since then.
Despite all the problems, our life in Afghanistan was normal and good. My father is a mason and my brother works as an engineer in the Afghanistan Railway office. My parents couldn’t read more than primary school because of the long wars that forced them to emigrate; But after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and the formation of a new government system in Afghanistan that provided some social and economic opportunities and space for everyone, my brother and I, like millions of Afghan boys and girls achieve the opportunity to go to school and being educated. We had thousands of dreams, plans, and continuous efforts, to become useful persons for our society and to participate in the development process of our country. But the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and dozens of other factors in the past year that have exacerbated the security situation brought the Taliban to power and resulted in the successive fall of the country’s provinces to the Taliban. The current situation for Afghanistan and its people has left everyone disappointed and shocked.
How is your family in Afghanistan doing now that the Taliban took over the country?
As long as I’m in contact with my family, they are fine; but they are in great fear and worriment. Especially my mother, my brother-in-law, and my brother’s daughters, who haven’t left the house since August 15. These days and nights, all my relatives and friends in Afghanistan are going through very difficult and full of fear, worry, and despair. I am also more worried about their lives and health. Now the news of my family’s health is the only thing that matters to me and perhaps to all Afghans.
What was your first reaction when you got the news that the Taliban govern your country?
For the past month or so, during the war in different parts of Afghanistan, I have been following the news more than ever and being in touch with my family and friends from time to time. It was as if the hope and survival of my life were defined in maintaining the security and order of Afghanistan. With the fall of each province, a wound was inflicted on the body of my dreams and plans; but I still hoped and prayed for the victory and stability of my country and people. But after the fall of Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city, fear, and devastation swept over me, and I saw that the palace of dreams, hopes, and plans of thousands of young Afghan girls and boys was being shaken, and dark days awaited everyone.
However, my only hope was that the resistance in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan’s second-largest city, unfortunately, fell to the Taliban on the night of August 14th. Upon hearing this news, it was as if the world fell apart on me. I was like someone who spent time and effort, over the years to build a 20-story building, but that building collapsed in front of his eyes in one day and was reduced to rubble. The next night, August 15, when Kabul fell to the Taliban, I turned into a corpse that was just breathing. For more than a week I had neither sleep nor appetite. I was shocked, not for myself, but for my country and my people, who were committed to peaceful and free life after years of war and sacrifice and toiled for it day and night. Most of all, for the women of my country. Women and girls who had the opportunity to study, work and live after years of oppression and discrimination. Girls bravely fought for their lives in an unequal and limited space.
How does life will change in your country?
Without a doubt, with the Taliban government and their dark background, all lives will change. Because with an extremist interpretation of Islamic law, they don’t seek to create a strong and competent government to provide services, but to create a government that wants to control everything with interfering in the personal lives of all people and limit opportunities and space for all and especially for Women. also, women and girls will not be allowed to study, work and live freely. Young people will not have the right to freedom of expression and modern activities that are contrary to their views. These and dozens of other problems will halt the path of progress and development in Afghanistan and even push the country back decades.
What are your dreams for the future? Do you think this situation will affect your future plans?
I am shocked and confused now and I can’t believe that all my dreams, hopes, and plans have been destroyed at once. Although the Taliban are talking about change, their background and their 20-year war in Afghanistan show the opposite. So little hope is for the future. Although my heart beats for my country and my people, I’m not able to go home and I’m thinking of migrating and not returning to Afghanistan. Maybe I will apply for educational migration and maybe I will stay here in Iran. I’m not sure right now.
How do you see the future of Afghanistan?
Until a month ago, I was hopeful about the future of my country. Although the situation was insecure and difficult, hopes were alive and young people were struggling. Now, most of the hopes and aspirations have been dashed and the youth are leaving the country, and unfortunately, this is not a good thing at all and does not show a bright future for Afghanistan.
Although the people of Afghanistan have been left alone in difficult times by all, I’m hopeful for one thing, and that is the younger generation and my peers who form approximately 65% of the population and are very different from their parents and ancestors. This generation has been educated and raised in an open space and will not easily succumb to the limited situation and oppression of the Taliban, and they have to show resilience toward this large portion of society.
However, I hope that the United Nations and the rest of the world will not recognize the Taliban and their government until there is a guarantee that the lives and rights of all Afghan men and women will be respected and that all groups living in Afghanistan will be able to follow lives that they have reason to value.
Finally, thank you and your listeners for listening to me and allowing me to share with you a part of the suffering of my people especially those girls and women that they haven’t any voice now.
Hoping for a better world free of war and violence for all
Thank you, Murtaza, for trusting Mission Outlook.
May you continue to pursue your dreams despite what’s happening in your country.
Listen to the podcast episode to know more about the future of Afghanistan with Farida’s story…