15th of August
By Mohammad Zaki Zaki
The 15th of August, 2021 was a gloomy day in Afghanistan. We had lived for 20 years with partial peace and security in some provinces of Afghanistan. Even though the Hazara nation did not have permanent security, at least their children could go to schools to get an education.
I will never forget the day when all the provinces of Afghanistan were suddenly controlled by terrorists, the Taliban. All Afghan people lost their hopes, their ambitions, their desire for freedom, their courage to make our country a better place for all. The recent years had been a golden opportunity for our nation. Then the Taliban began taking more control of Afghanistan. With each passing day, provincial governments collapsed across the country. The number of martyrs and wounded security forces increased quickly
We heard rumors about the fall of districts and provinces from all sides. Everyone was worried about the unclear future of our country. I cannot forget how our strong commanders and well-equipped armies disappeared in a day in Kabul. I could not believe that 20 years of progress were destroyed in a moment.
Everyone was shocked. Everyone looked at the gloomy sky of Afghanistan and cried about the loss of their beloved homeland. Every woman was praying not to lose their rights. One of our generals was not qualified to lead. Another took responsibility for what happened in the face of despair. The highway robbers and the people in the fortress gave poor advice to the people and the national army.
In my opinion, we had no understanding of politics and were overly optimistic about a better future. The decline of the government that was established by the blood of martyrs was unimaginable. Sometimes an unconscious feeling tells a person that there is definitely bad news on the way. I felt this and was worried the day and night before the collapse.
The 23rd of Asad passed tensely. In the following days I went to Kabul airport to find a way to leave Afghanistan. There was a huge crowd of people around the airport. All were struggling to escape from our country. I commuted there every single day with a group of friends who were registered for an urgent trip, but I could not find any way to leave Afghanistan. Afghanistan was a hell for us. After that time, I applied for a visa and had been waiting for the result for about 10 months and recently received news that my visa application was denied. With that denial, I lost all my plans and hopes.
Right now, making money and working to find a morsal of bread in our country is getting terribly difficult. On the one-year anniversary of the collapse of Afghanistan, the Taliban celebrated this day with happy faces, walking and maneuvering around the city. Meanwhile, I was thinking only about finding a little food that I could afford for my family.
