On the anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, many articles will focus on what is wrong in Afghanistan. Girls are denied education. Women face serious restrictions. There is poverty, migration, and a deep sense of uncertainty about the future.
We cannot and should not deny these realities. But if all our attention is focused only on what is wrong, how can we plant the seeds of peace and hope for Afghanistan’s future?
On this anniversary, I want to focus on something else. I want to talk about the strength and perseverance of the Afghan people, especially Afghan women.
Women in Afghanistan have faced enormous pressure during these years. Many girls have been denied education. Many women have lost their jobs and freedoms. Many saw the future they had worked so hard to build suddenly taken away from them.
But these women did not disappear.
They are still mothers, teachers, writers, doctors, students, and an important part of Afghan society. A girl who is not allowed to attend school today has not lost her intelligence, her ability, or her dreams.
Taking away a woman’s opportunity does not take away her ability.
The people of Afghanistan also carry deep wounds. More than forty years of war, migration, poverty, loss of loved ones, and changes of government have left a deep psychological impact on our society.
These wounds are real. But we should not allow these wounds to decide our future.
Peace does not mean forgetting the past. It does not mean remaining silent about injustice. We should defend the rights of women and the right of girls to education. We should also speak openly about the mistakes and policies of the Taliban.
But at the same time, we should ask ourselves an important question:
Do we only want to talk about what is wrong, or do we also want to think about how Afghanistan can move forward?
Afghanistan will not be rebuilt through more hatred. Our people do not need another war. They need education, jobs, justice, dialogue, and hope.
The Taliban must also understand that Afghanistan cannot move forward without the participation of women. Keeping half of society on the sidelines hurts the entire country.
On this anniversary, while remembering all the pain, we should not forget one important truth:
The women of Afghanistan are still standing. The people of Afghanistan are still standing.
They are wounded, but they are not defeated.
Perhaps our responsibility is to speak the truth and defend the rights of our people, while also planting the seeds of peace and hope for the next generation.
We cannot change the past, but we can still choose a better future for Afghanistan.
Noor Wodjouatt
