In an open letter, acclaimed director Sahraa Karimi has written of the brutal impact of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan on women, girls and artists.
Sahraa Karimi: appeal for helpImage: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
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"If the Taliban take over they will ban all art. I and other filmmakers could be next on their hit list," Sahraa Karimi wrote in an open appeal that was sent to global media organizations on August 13 and circulated on social media as the Taliban took control of major cities in Afghanistan and encircled the country's capital, Kabul.
The filmmaker also documented the situation on social media, posting on Facebook and Instagram different videos showing her fleeing to the Kabul airport, joining crowds of other Afghans as they scramble to reach the capital's last remaining exit.
She has since managed to leave the country and told DW that she is now safe in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The director of the award-nominated film Hava, Maryam, Ayesha (2019) is the only Afghan woman to have a PhD in cinema. Karimi is also the president of the state-run Afghan Film Organization.
A murderous takeover
In her letter, Karimi wrote that the Taliban have "massacred our people" as they gained control over several provinces over the past weeks. Many children have been killed and girls sold as child brides to Taliban fighters, she writes; they murdered a woman for wearing the wrong clothes and gouged out the eyes of another.
"They tortured and murdered one of our beloved comedians," Karimi wrote, referring to the killing of Nazar Mohammad, popularly known as Khasha Zwan, who was killed by unidentified gunmen in Kandahar last month.
Earlier this month, members of the militant group also killed poet and historian Abdullah Atefi in Afghanistan's southern Uruzgan province.
The Taliban have been targeting activists, journalists and cultural figures who have been critical of its activities.
The country's top media official, Dawa Khan Menapal, was also murdered by Taliban gunmen in early August. In a statement accepting responsibility for the killing, the Taliban said Menapal was "punished" for his deeds.
Karimi mentions both the incidents in her letter to emphasize the danger that cultural figures face in the country.
'Meanwhile, residents in various cities that have been taken over by the Taliban are fleeing to camps. "The families are in camps in Kabul after fleeing these provinces, and they are in unsanitary condition. There is looting in the camps and babies dying because they don't have milk," Karimi writes, adding that apart from the political crisis, the country is also on the brink of a humanitarian crisis and "yet, the world is silent."
In a recent report, the UN has stated that "Afghanistan is on course to witness its highest ever number of documented civilian casualties in a single year since records began." About 250,000 Afghans have been forced to flee their homes since the end of May, 80% of whom are children, according to the UN report.
The filmmaker also mentioned that the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, initiated by Donald Trump and pursued under the administration of his successor, Joe Biden, is to be blamed for the situation in Afghanistan today. "We know that this decision to abandon our people is wrong, that this hasty troop withdrawal is a betrayal of our people and all that we did when Afghans won the Cold War for the west," Karimi wrote, adding that the Afghan people were "forgotten" during the militant group's "dark rule" that began in 1996.
Afghans try to flee as Taliban topples government
Hundreds are trying to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban swept into the capital. Western powers airlifted civilians out of Kabul airport as commercial flights were halted.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
Desperate Afghans try to enter Kabul airport
Afghan families have been making increasingly desperate attempts to get into Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Many children are among the crowds trying to make a last ditch attempt to escape the Taliban who stormed the capital city.
Image: REUTERS
Afghans face an uncertain future
Since the withdrawal of US and NATO troops, Afghans have faced a difficult decision: stay and hope government forces contain the Taliban insurgency or flee to neighboring countries. Now that the Taliban has seized Kabul, many now appear to be caught in limbo, with no clear indication as to what will happen next.
Image: REUTERS
Crowds gather at Kabul airport
Kabul's main airport, named after Hamid Karzai, the first president installed after the Taliban were toppled, was the scene of desperate crowds on Monday. Hundreds were hoping to board planes and flee Taliban rule. While Western powers rushed to evacuate small groups of people, mostly their own citizens but also some local employees, commercial flights in and out of the country were halted.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
Taliban take presidential palace
After the fall of the capital city, Kabul, Taliban fighters took control of the Afghan presidential palace on Sunday. Live footage showed Taliban commanders and fighters sitting inside the palace, declaring victory in their campaign against Afghan forces.
Image: Zabi Karim/AP/picture alliance
Fear of Islamist rule
Many fear the hard-line Islamist rule of the Taliban, who claimed in a statement that they would not take revenge against those who supported the US-backed alliance. Women and girls were mostly prohibited from education during the Taliban's previous rule in Afghanistan. People in Kabul hurriedly took their own steps to try to hide images the fundamentalists might dislike.
Image: Kyodo/picture alliance
Crossing the border to Pakistan
While the Hamid Karzai airport saw an exodus of people trying to leave, some Afghans crossed over the border to Pakistan. Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told DW that the government has closed the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan.
Image: Jafar Khan/AP/picture alliance
Taliban return weeks after US withdrawal
The US and its allies entered Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks in 2001, and toppled the Taliban. As the 20-year conflict came to an abrupt end with the pullout of US and NATO troops, Afghan government forces quickly collapsed without support.
Image: Hoshang Hashimi/AP Photo/picture alliance
Taliban leadership
The Taliban governed the country from 1996 to 2001 and imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic Shariah law. It was founded under the leadership of Mullah Omar. Haibatullah Akhundzada is now the top leader, while co-founder Mullah Baradar, seen in this image, heads the political wing.
Image: Social Media/REUTERS
Taliban fighters raise their flag
The Taliban claims it is ready to control the country and on Monday said it would not harm civilians who had cooperated with Western forces. "We are ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them the necessary protection," Taliban political office spokesman Mohammad Naeem told broadcaster Al Jazeera. The claim might not be easy for all to believe.
Image: Gulabuddin Amiri/AP/picture alliance
Women and children at risk
Women, children and other minorities are likely to suffer badly under the Taliban regime. Women and girls were barred from education during the Taliban's previous rule in Afghanistan, which was overturned after the US-led invasion in 2001.
Image: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
President Ghani flees
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on August 15. "In order to avoid the bleeding flood, I thought it was best to get out," he said, but stressed that he would continue to fight for the country.
Image: Rahmat Gul/AP Photo/picture alliance
Former President Karzai urges peace
Afghan leaders have created a council to meet with the Taliban and manage the transfer of power. Former President Hamid Karzai, who is part of the council, said this was "to prevent chaos and reduce the suffering of the people," and to manage a "peaceful transfer" of power.
Image: Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo/picture alliance
US, European powers evacuate
Germany deployed military planes to help with evacuation from Afghanistan after closing its Kabul embassy. The US, Britain and Saudi Arabia are also evacuating forces, diplomats, and other officials from the country.
Image: Moritz Frankenberg/dpa/picture alliance
Protests in the US
Many in the US demonstrated in front of the White House for the restoration of peace in Afghanistan on the weekend. Admiral Mike Mullen said the US and allies "underestimated the impact of what a corrupt government does." He added: "We just reached too far, expectations were too high, and it was a bridge too far to get to where we thought we wanted to go."
Image: Ken Cedeno/REUTERS
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Girls forced out of school again
"When the Taliban were in power, zero girls were in school. Since then there are over 9 million Afghan girls in school. This is incredible. ... Herat, the third-largest city which just fell to the Taliban had nearly 50% women in its university. These are incredible gains that the world hardly knows about. Just in these few weeks, the Taliban have destroyed many schools and 2 million girls are forced now out of school again," Karimi wrote.
During the first emirate that the Taliban established, in 1996, they executed a strict interpretation of Islamic law and established a moral police that forced men to grow beards and women to wear full-body burqas. Women who went unaccompanied to public places were beaten and schools for girls were shuttered. Music was also banned, aside of religious chants.
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'A proxy war'
"This war is not a civil war, this is an imposed war, and it is the result of the US deal with the Taliban," she said, referring to the peace agreement that was brokered between the US, represented by special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, and the Taliban's chief negotiator, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in February 2020.
At the time, the US government, under Trump, said the country would withdraw all its troops within the next 14 months. Since then, unrest in the country has been growing, culminating in the present occupation of the country by Taliban militants.
In her letter, Karimi appeals to the world to "not turn its back on us. We need your support and your voice on behalf of Afghan women, children, artists, and filmmakers."
