Dear Mr Morrison: “I ask you not to forget Afghanistan”

The AIM Network

3 years ago

Nazdana Sultanfar lives in Afghanistan. Below is a letter she wrote to our Prime Minister asking that her country and the appalling treatment of Afghan women not be forgotten.

Dear Mr. Morrison,

As the whole world is witnessing a change in Afghanistan’s political system, with this regime change in Afghanistan, we are witnessing many collapses. These include the unemployment of thousands of people, the closing of the gates of universities and schools and government offices.

I am Nazdana Sultanfar, a Law and Political Science student, as well as a civil and social activist.

It has been two years since I started my studies at the university, and I have been working in social and cultural work and defending women’s rights. In my activities, I pursue two major goals:

Changing the attitude of Afghan society towards women
Informing women about their rights and status in a family, community and government.

I had and will have big goals. My biggest goal is to be a legal analyst in my community and save my community from misery by making a law. But with the rise of the Taliban, all my activities came to an end. And all my dreams remain like a nightmare. With the university closed, it is impossible to achieve my goals, and I am not only thinking about my future, but also thinking about the future of my generation, especially Afghan girls, who are called the second gender in Afghanistan. Hearing these two words is painful and upsetting to me.

The purpose of my hard work was to prove to men that a woman is not the second gender, but a woman like me is a human being and has equal value, responsibility and rights, Mr. Morrison! Another big problem in Afghanistan is increasing rate of poverty and unemployment, which will cause unprecedented human catastrophe. If poverty and unemployment are not prevented or a specific plan is not implemented, it will be a total humanitarian collapse. It is very painful for me and all Afghan citizens for the moment. Streets are full of women, men, children and the disabled; asleep and awake, hungry and thirsty for a little help to find a piece of bread, and get five Afghanis. I am so upset that I sleep for long hours and I talk to myself and I think that the only logical solution is for me and my generation to study. Then we will end this current situation with science and knowledge.

In addition to poverty and unemployment there is apparent ethnic and gender discrimination in Afghanistan. These two terms have been on the rise in Afghanistan for many years. We see girls deprived from school and university, women banned from work.

Apart from gender discrimination, ethnic discrimination is rampant in Afghanistan, and a single ethnic government has been established, and all decisions are made by the Pashtuns with the idea of Talibani. In the shadow of this government the most vulnerable people are the Hazara people, who have no national or international support. Hundreds of young people with all their dreams and aspirations went underground and slept forever. With the coming to power of the Taliban, the Hazara people are the hardest hit, Mr. Morrison! As a young Afghan, I have no authority or power to do for my community and country. The only thing I could do was to study and gain knowledge. But unfortunately, the gate of the university is closed for me and my generation. The only thing I could do was write this letter to your Excellency, expressing the common pains of the Afghan people. I always follow your Twitter and Facebook.

I ask you not to forget Afghanistan, especially Afghan women.

Best regards,

Nazdana Sultanfar

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Nazdana Sultanfar is a second-year student at the Faculty of Law and Political Science of Kabul University, a social, cultural and women’s rights activist.