20 Years: Three Afghan Journalists Describe Life Under Taliban Rule
Human Rights Watch and United Nations continue to document disappearances of Afghans by Taliban. I went to Germany to hear a TOLO journalist discuss leaving Afghanistan
As the one year mark nears since Taliban overtook Kabul internationally the evolving humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan remains on close watch. Afghans now rely on contacts around the world and social media networks to share information. As documented Taliban continue to rapidly enforce a widespread ban on Afghan girls and women from pursuing education undoing much of the progress and educational pursuits in the last twenty years.
Recently, images of female Afghan TOLO broadcasters fully covered circulated on the internet as global audiences questioned why Afghan women were forced to cover their faces while reporting.
I travelled to Germany to meet with a TOLO newscaster who fled Afghanistan with his family. When Kabul fell, for months, the journalist continued to work in studio. Despite Taliban threats one of the last segments showed the journalist debating Taliban live on-air. An article emerged summarizing Taliban threatening the journalist for speaking out against IEA regime.
After each broadcast from August until January, the journalist would be escorted out for security reasons. While working the journalist relocated all over Kabul to ensure safety for his family. The Taliban raided their house and harassed relatives seeking the location of the journalist. But time was running out as Taliban continued to amplify their threats towards one of TOLO’s most influential journalist and TV broadcaster with over 200,000 likes on their Facebook professional account.
“The Taliban almost broke my wrist. They’ve done much worse to me but my father said you have to leave immediately. They will go after your children. I had to say goodbye to my parents and relatives. When we reached Islamabad there were German workers, they looked at me: “You’re safe now. ”
It was the beginning of a dialogue. A family of six, we sat talking at a park bench in Germany with his wife and children. I would spend the next five days with them. Every meal we all sat together. Videos of Afghanistan would play. The children would talk about Kabul. I would watch them pray. We would take the children to play. The children had returned to school and were learning German. One evening, the journalist got out a whiteboard.
For over an hour, we sat on the carpet discussing Afghanistan past and present.
“I will explain to you the situation in Afghanistan, and how we got here.” One of the words written was “Mullah Omar”
“What should happen next?” I asked.
“We need an international court. We need the US there. We need Afghans there. We need those in government who fled. We need accountability. We need a world safe from Taliban and other terrorist groups. It wasn’t the war in Afghanistan. Afghanistan was a world war.
We have to move forward.”
The sun was glaring in my eye, the park was calm, the children were quiet when I heard the journalist describe his final days in Afghanistan showing clips arguing with Taliban on TV. I realized this clip was filmed only a few months ago.
“I had to leave Afghanistan for the future of my family. I never wanted to leave my homeland.”
The six of us kept walking in a field in Nuremberg. We paused. Two of the children began singing the national anthem of Afghanistan. We stopped to look at geese in the water. “I still write Pashto poetry. I still write everyday for my people. I will write my book one day.” The journalist began to rehearse verses in Pashto as all of us watched on.
On my last day before I caught a train, I watched the IEA anthem surrounded by Afghan children and women who lost their country. It dawned on me the Taliban used the line “home of the brave” from the US national anthem.
The Taliban continue to conduct house searches in various provinces and districts in Afghanistan as documented by Afghans speaking up on social media and international channels such as Reuters.
What exactly is a Taliban house search? How can photos convey search operatives by Taliban? What is the response by Afghans impacted by searches?
A Taliban house search may involve raids, arson, threats of violence, in worst cases kidnapping to drive fear and create a sense of distrust for Afghans.
Yet, many are forced to relocate consistently. For instance, a former Ghani government official had their house burnt down in Kunduz back in September before relocating to Islamabad eventually resettling in Australia. What is life like for media workers still stuck in Afghanistan?
With rising news reports of Taliban house searches and media going dark I spoke with two Afghan journalists awaiting evacuation to describe the untold dangers of Taliban searches: a media and IT professional at Zan TV and a female journalist from Sayhoon News who remains in hiding with her husband who worked with US and Afghan National Defense Security Forces [ANDSF]
In 2017, a prominent milestone was reached for Afghan women. Zan TV hit airwaves as the first network almost exclusively run by Afghan women which covered Afghan culture, women’s rights, politics, and lifestyle told from an Afghan perspective. The news station continues to operate with some Zan journalists no longer able to work on ground. Significantly, media workers who worked in Afghanistan are seeking to resettle in Europe, United States, UK, Australia, Canada. Leaving Afghanistan often requires going to Pakistan first or a neighbour border.
But leaving a homeland after Taliban takeover is far from a simple process. Many media workers actively use social media channels to work while their accounts are heavily monitored on social media by an array of extremist groups.
Asal* remains stuck in Kabul with his children and family, he began working for Zan TV to support Afghan women in media who often faced threats for reporting in Afghanistan. Under Taliban rule, A’s family frequently relocates as Taliban search for men who promote progressive values of education and rights for women. “If you previously were or are currently in opposition to the Taliban, many are often viewed as “traitors, infidels, or spies” by the current Islamic Emirate Regime.” A, told me by phone call.
A: “My brother worked for Afghan airforce. I worked in Afghan media. Our network is progressive it was a new era for Afghan women and journalists. The Taliban despised this especially when Afghan women were working. Now, we try to take videos of Taliban house searches. Atrocities need to be documented. Years of hard work gone. My family cried when I burned anything related to my work in media. My brother's uniforms are gone.
Mohammed Haron Neromand was a journalist living near my house in Kabul [District 7] about 1 KM away. He was a technician for Afghan Parliament TV called Upper House[Mesherano Jirga] He took his life due to fear of Taliban.
Taliban have recruited a team to monitor biometrics inside Kabul with checkpoints. They control who enters and who leaves. It’s extremely difficult to get a passport. A variety of Afghans are high-risk especially if they worked for former government officials, military, media, education, or partnered with Western allies. There are still media workers trapped who need to get out immediately. Some colleagues have made it to Canada.
Yes, I love my profession as a journalist. I’m grateful for all my training, colleagues, and memories. I continue to work in these dangerous circumstances inside Kabul. When I am in safety I will continue to it's a very satisfying noble job where you help people by raising their voice. I aspire to contribute my skills wherever I’m needed.
I’ve had tremendous difficulty trying to get out of Afghanistan like many Afghans we feel stranded, and we’re doing everything we can to get out.”
In 2012, the United States modernized the Afghan National Defense Security Forces [ANDSF]. During this time L3Harris was awarded 1.7 billion to establish specialized IT communication networks for Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior in Afghanistan. This contract included over three hundred FSR’s [Field Service Representatives] working together on encrypted military telecommunications.
When Taliban entered Kabul to overthrow the government last August, advisors at L3Harris contacted all FSR’s who worked with US and international forces in Afghanistan deeming them as priority for evacuation.
On March 11th 2022, I received a message. L* from Sayhoon News is a female Afghan journalist who remains hiding with her husband who worked as a subcontractor with L3Harris and Ministry of Interior [GCPSU, CRU-222, ATF-444, PSU Kandahar] Our frequent text exchanges and calls from L and her husband indicate extreme security conditions under the Taliban.
LAST AUGUST when the Taliban entered Kabul to overthrow the government, L’s husband was told for his employment with both US and ANDSF he was a priority by the US government.
“My issue is difficult. L is a journalist and I helped both US, Western forces, and ANDSF. Hence, why both our lives are at risk. I worked in various provinces of Afghanistan with the Ministry of Interior and travelled to many military bases.
My knowledge on military telecommunications, RAID towers and systems, and ScanEagles is why Taliban is after me. The Taliban want us to assist them with our knowledge then target us.”
I asked L to describe the current situation for female Afghan journalists trapped in Afghanistan:
L [05-29-2022 12:59 PM] “When I first started working as a journalist it was completely backwards in Afghanistan. Being a woman in Afghanistan I wanted to see the realities of my communities reflected in media. In 2012, I started my social activities in the mining community during my school days there had only been a few positive changes in Afghan media meaning there was a shift in people becoming more enlightened and familiar with the activities of Afghan women.
During the presidency of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani media expanded all over Afghanistan.
We were able to harness our skills and create new opportunities for female Afghan journalists, we need to continue to do so. [In August] Everything was destroyed in one day. Years of hard work, pain, and frustration, just gone. Now, the Taliban are attempting to silence the media and undermine freedom of expression. I am concerned how this will impact younger generations.
Everyday we see the Taliban restricting more laws on women and journalists in Afghanistan they enforce law with the demands of the Islamic Emirate. Afghanistan’s Hazara community is also under attack. Taliban says we do not have the right to work. Mosques, schools, educational places, amusement parks are closed for women and girls. We are living in the past. We aren’t even allowed to pick up our phones and record. The Taliban is trying to enforce marriage on young girls that’s why many are hiding.
We want to live a life like other women around the world. We want to feel human.
We want our country back.”
References:
Al Jazeera. May 26, 2022. UN envoy tells of serious concern at Taliban’s ‘erasure of women’
Defense News. August 18, 2021. “US contractors rush to get former employees out of Afghanistan”
France24. May 22, 2022. “Taliban orders female Afghan TV presenters to cover their faces on air”
HRW Report. November 30, 2021. "No Forgiveness for People Like You”
The Independent. May 8, 2022. The Rights Afghanistan Women Have Lost Since Taliban Takeover.