My name is Tahira. I am a Muslim girl from Afghanistan. On August, 22nd 2021, my family fled Afghanistan because of war. We have lived in the United States for about 8 months. While living in Afghanistan, my father worked in an electronics store and as a car mechanic. My mother was a math teacher in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. I have three sisters and two brothers.
We had a wonderful life in Afghanistan before the Taliban took control of all the 34 provinces. My siblings and I went to school and my family was very close. I loved spending my time reading and writing. I enjoyed gaining knowledge about the world.
As the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, the security and safety of all the people changed and became worse each day. The former president of Afghanistan cowardly fled and left the Afghan people alone. Sadly, the Taliban eventually took control of the capital city of Kabul and my family made the hard decision to leave our beloved country. When we arrived at the Kabul airport we were so frightened by all the chaos and fear that surrounded the area. Foreigners and Afghans which included men, women, children and even infants were trying to escape Afghanistan. This was the only way out. As my family went through one airport entrance gate, the other gate was bombed. Unfortunately, hundreds of innocent lives were lost and more panic began to fill the airport. Many people were crying and bleeding. Others had lost sight of their family members and were frantically searching everywhere. I saw others laying on the ground dead or dying. Children were crying as they looked for their mothers. I could see the Taliban with their guns, ammunition and angry faces. It was the most horrifying sight I have ever witnessed. Finally, my family was able to safely get on a plane and escape.
According to Taliban’s laws, girls must stay at home. They can’t work or go to school. Many parents made the choice to leave their homes because of the future of their children. When my family escaped, we had to leave all our things behind. We didn’t even have the time to pack our clothes and left with only the clothes we were wearing. My family suffered the pain of leaving our homeland, our dreams, our memories, our childhood and happiness. It was our sacrifice to migrate here to America.
The Afghan people have suffered because of war for many years. There have been endless bombings and death that have made thousands migrate to other countries. However, the Afghan people are very zealous and are admired for their fight to survive. In my heart, I’m hopeful peace will come. Afghans will continue to smile and never lose hope. We will keep fighting against the difficulties of hate-filled people.
The Taliban does not care about Afghan women and will physically violate women’s rights and even kill them. Afghan women will always fight back against this injustice. As an Afghan woman, I am strong and will not let the effects of war crush me. I am writing to let the world know we will rise, be powerful and succeed. We have words in Dari (Afghanistan’s Language) that say: پیروز می شویم، می توانیم، قوی هستیم “We will win, we can, we are strong.” I know if I fail today, I will always stand up again tomorrow.
I now live in North Carolina, and I’m studying at West Cabarrus High School. I am declaring that I will follow my dreams and never lose hope. I will work hard to make my future bright. I know I can be a successful women.
