Taliban 2: What’s Next for Afghanistan

www.ozy.com [OZY]() Your World. Bold & Bright [Daily Dose]( Sponsored by [Cariuma]( The newsletter to fuel — and thrill — your mind. Read for deep dives into the unmissable ideas and topics shaping our world. Aug 12, 2022 Today Mohammad Tariq was born in an Afghanistan of hope, a land where the Taliban had been removed from power. But today, Tariq, now 19, is on the run from the Taliban, his uncertain future a metaphor for the perils facing Afghanistan — and especially its youth — as the country approaches the somber anniversary of America’s chaotic withdrawal from Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021. What will the second year of Taliban rule bring? —  with reporting by Ruchi Kumar from Istanbul, Turkey [All We Think About Is…Going Green]( [Cariuma]( Being eco-friendly has never been easier. Say hi to your new [favorite sneaker]( – made from organic cotton and natural rubber. Stylish, comfortable, timeless, and consciously made. You can’t go wrong. Shop now with code OZY20 to snag [20% OFF]( your purchase!. This special offer is just for OZY readers. [LET’S GO GREEN]( Pen to gun Tariq wanted to be a writer. Born in a remote district of Afghanistan, he belongs to a generation that dreamed. As he grew older, Tariq became more vocal in his support for equality, women’s rights and human dignity. “I only ever wanted to promote the virtue of kindness and dignity among my people,” said Tariq, who asked OZY to conceal his true identity and location to protect him from Taliban persecution. When the Taliban re-seized control of Afghanistan one year ago, Tariq’s advocacy put him on the new government’s enemy list. He was detained. “They took me to Kabul, where I was brought to the senior Taliban leaders. For days, I was tortured and abused, and eventually they handed me a weapon and I was told to join them or be killed,” said Tariq. He eventually escaped and is now in hiding. “They replaced my pen with a gun I had spent my whole childhood fighting against. What future do you think I have left?” That’s a question staring at millions of Afghans, as their country enters a second year after the Taliban’s return to power. With one of the world’s youngest populations — [63% are under the age of 25]( — Tariq’s struggles over the past few months raise uncomfortable questions that will echo well beyond Afghanistan. Amid rising hunger, an economic collapse and few opportunities for growth, Afghanistan’s youth is also vulnerable to radicalization. This is particularly concerning as the Taliban-controlled country once again threatens to turn into a hotbed of international terrorism. Earlier this month, U.S. drones killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in downtown Kabul, where he was living in a house linked to the Haqqani family that’s a central part of the Taliban, whose return to power has emboldened other terrorist groups, raising security concerns throughout the region and globally. Also, many U.S. weapons given to Afghan security forces have fallen into Taliban hands, and are reportedly being recovered from militants in regional conflicts. “The violent takeover of Afghanistan by [the] Taliban has served as a ‘proof of concept’ for other Islamist militant fundamentalist groups, who feel that it is possible to come to power or carve out territorial control using terrorism without incurring significant international censure,” Ahmad Shuja Jamal, a former Afghan senior security official and coauthor of “The Decline and Fall of Republican Afghanistan,” told OZY. [Nice (Kicks)]( [Cariuma]( Loved by surfers and skateboarders alike, [Cariuma]( is elevating the game by reimagining the classic sneaker. Just like these skills come (organically) for some, so do these shoes – made with organic cotton, natural rubber, vegan insoles, and recycled plastics. Practical and sustainably sourced? Now, that’s rad! Grab them while they’re hot with your exclusive [20% off]( discount code: OZY20.This special offer is just for OZY readers. [SHOP NOW]( Secret schools The situation is worse for women. With the Taliban banning girls over the age of 12 years from schools, women’s participation in universities will now come to a grinding halt. In decrees that are reminiscent of the previous Taliban era in the 1990s, they have imposed several restrictions on women’s employment, movements and even their clothes. But hundreds of underground schools have emerged in recent months to help Afghan girls continue their education. “I have been working in education for many years — the only difference is that I have to now be cautious because what we are doing is no longer legal,” said Pashtana Durrani, executive director at [LEARN Afghanistan](, an NGO that operates some of the secret schools across the country. Durrani’s schools cater to nearly 700 girls between ages of 13 and 18 years, covering the regular curriculum as well as vocational courses. The classes are taught in secret classrooms at homes of teachers, as well as online. “Earlier, our biggest concerns were fundraising, but now it is more than that; we are worried about security, students’ futures, and to ensure that we are doing the right thing by them,” she told OZY in an interview from exile in the U.S. Despite these efforts, many Afghan girls remain out of school and vulnerable to early and forced marriages, which are expected to rise in the coming years. The deepening economic crisis facing Afghanistan, amplified by international sanctions on the Taliban, has left most families on the brink: Nearly [23 million Afghans]( are facing acute food insecurity, according to the United Nations. “And yet, in the past year, [the Taliban] have issued 29 verdicts, limiting women’s freedoms,” said Fawzia Koofi, a former Afghan parliamentarian and one of four women on the 24-member Afghan team that was negotiating with the Taliban. “If they could focus only a fraction of that energy on tackling economic crises or social issues, the situation would have probably been different.” The militant regime, Koofi told OZY, has rolled back “years of achievement we made challenging the patriarchy, which wasn’t easy even before the Taliban.” It will be difficult for women to return to political and public spaces under the Taliban, she said. WATCH SEBASTIAN JUNGER on [The Carlos Watson Show](! But change is coming The Taliban promised to be different this time. But the experience of ordinary Afghans like Tariq contradicts that claim. In its latest report, the UN’s Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has documented hundreds of instances of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments meted out to civilians, along with arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings and punitive action against former government officials, despite the Taliban’s assurance that its members wouldn’t target political opponents. The discontentment toward the Taliban is manifesting in frequent peaceful protests, led largely by Afghan women in cities, as well as more violent militant rebellions in rural areas. “Afghans are increasingly agitating for a different political system,” said Jamal, the former security official. “Students, women, diaspora groups, MPs [members of parliament] and others are convening and asking for an inclusive system. They want a restoration of democracy without saying it in as many words.” The Taliban themselves “are in no hurry to be inclusive, rights-respecting or even a responsible international player,” Jamal added, urging the international community to back movements demanding a return to democracy. “This is not a call for regime change. It's a call for not allowing violent takeovers of governments to become the norm. Exactly what the U.S. is doing in Ukraine.” Meanwhile, Koofi predicts that the brewing disquiet will compel the Taliban to negotiate with the budding opposition. “We have witnessed dissatisfaction among masses and disunity among Taliban. The killing of the al-Qaida leader [al-Zawahiri], whose presence in Afghanistan was already a divisive issue among the Taliban could further fragment the Taliban,” she said. Women will be at the center of that shift, said Koofi, who is trying to mobilize an inclusive political opposition while in exile. “One thing I know is that, without women, there will not be sustainable peace or justice,” she said. “We will see more political mobility in the coming months, as Afghan political actors get together to become a bloc, more united over issues, more inclusive with more women in their platforms.” But those long-term hopes bring little comfort for Tariq. The previously aspiring writer frequently changes his location to avoid being caught again, carrying a small bag with his few possessions: three books, two photos — one of his mother, the other of his fiancee — and plenty of sleeping pills. “In the last one year, I have lost my human dignity, my education, I am separated from my family, and I am losing my fiancée. I suffer from depression. And all because I had dreamed of an enlightened and empowered Afghanistan,” he said. “It is hard to picture a future anymore.” Community Corner What does the future hold in store for Afghanistan, and what’s the solution? Share your thoughts with us at OzyCommunity@Ozy.com. ABOUT OZY OZY is a diverse, global and forward-looking media and entertainment company focused on “the New and the Next.” OZY creates space for fresh perspectives, and offers new takes on everything from news and culture to technology, business, learning and entertainment. [www.ozy.com]( / #OZY Curiosity. Enthusiasm. Action. That’s OZY! [TV]( | [PODCASTS]( | [NEWS]( | [FESTIVALS]( A Modern Media Company OZY Media, 800 West El Camino Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](