As nations withdraw from a fallen Afghanistan, a rift of safety and security has opened in the country, leaving many at risk of being oppressed by the Taliban’s draconian practices and punishments. With the former Afghan government toppled, the people are left in a state of disarray over their fates in a land ruled by a violent organization.
Living in mortal fear of Taliban rule, people are in constant fear as soldiers patrol the territories to commit unlawful ‘justice’, and people have become paranoid that their closest friends could be in league with the extremists.
Civilians have been forced to sell their earthly possessions in an attempt to survive, while some others have been forced out when militants rushed into their homes and took control.
Resistance by civilians has been brutally dealt with as Taliban fighters either beat up or fire live rounds at protestors and anyone suspected to be conspiring against the organization. Gunfire echoing through the night also keeps Afghan citizens up without proper sleep.
Cellphones are being seized by militants for inspection, resulting in several attacks on people perceived as acting against the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam. Those in possession of copies of the Bible on their phones are reported to be murdered.
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Jobs are hard to come by, plunging many into hunger and desperation. However, those who do have jobs with the government are being lied to regarding their payments. Working in the healthcare industry, one worker’s paycheck must be applied to the whole extended family, since the women, who once held proper jobs, have lost the chance to work.
Information is also scarce since the Taliban militarized television stations for propaganda, making people sceptical of lawless executions of “kidnappers”.
Secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, told NPR that the collapse of the Afghan government could lead to an economic crisis in the country.
“On the ground, there is no money,” said Egeland. “The people cannot even extract the money they have in the bank. People are selling their last possessions for food now, including public employees.”
Family in fear
For the sister of an Afghan officer on the run, the tyranny and fear throughout Afghanistan have drawn very close comparisons with the reign of Hitler’s Nazi regime (1933-1945), which controlled the majority of mainland Europe in an era of homicidal terror, monstrous discrimination of Jews and other minorities and groups, and destruction that sent ripples worldwide.
“I am very sorry for the people who experienced such bad conditions,” the sister said. “I now understand.
Speaking to the Washington Examiner on Aug.28, the officer provided intelligence to U.S. forces, painting him as a target for the Taliban. He had asked his former mentor to help him and family flee the country.
“I fear my killing and my family because of being of assistance to the U.S. military forces,” said the officer.
The officer’s sister also expressed her concerns over the unstable enforcement of the Taliban’s rule, which is riddled with hypocrisy and is inconsistent.
“The Taliban never take responsibility for their mistakes, they always lie openly and openly, and their words are never the same,” she said. “They do the opposite of what they say to the media.”
Moreover, the Taliban’s intrusive searches in their homes for perpetrators have deprived the people of their sense of security.
“The Taliban are seeking revenge and increasing their house-to-house searches every day to find those who worked for the U.S. military,” said the sister.
She also fears the state of desperation suffered by the people without a stable economy, where even her own family is paying the price.
“We had a few gold earrings that we sold. The concern of most people is to find a piece of bread. Banks have almost closed, price of food and fuel has doubled, and most of the businesses have been shut down.”
The officer’s sister has also reported that families have been desperately trying to marry young daughters off to avoid being married to Taliban soldiers when they are aged 15 or above.
Though the state of Afghanistan fills her family with dread and fear, the sister hopes that her country can find the light and be free of the oppression of Taliban rule.
“I pray at all times that this current state is a nightmare and that it will be over as soon as possible,” said the sister.
