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My parents had to leave their home country Afghanistan, their friends, their work, their everything because of the civil war in the mid 90s. I, who saw the world in Europe at that time, have never seen or been able to visit my homeland. Never met my relatives in Afghanistan personally. Never seen the place where my parents grew up, the roots of my parents. My aunt, I could never speak to, she could never hear me, never see me, because she was murdered. So just go to Afghanistan and spend the summer vacations or vacation there does not work. The same way I feel, several people from the Diaspora in Europe, America, Australia. 

We, the community of Afghans, Americans, Germans, People, who stand fully behind the human rights, express our concerns and condemnation of the recent increased violence after the irresponsible withdrawal of the German, U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan that have contributed to the continued endangering and loss of Afghan lives. 

We demand from the German Government, the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, regional countries, international organizations, and all factions involved in the conflict to six main points:

1. We demand the immediate evacuation of all people in Afghanistan threatened by the Taliban. In particular, there is a special duty of care to the allied local forces who have worked for FRG government institutions and organizations, and to their families. People who worked in subcontractors for the German government must also be evacuated immediately, as their lives and limb are also in acute danger. Germany also has a moral responsibility to civil society. People working in the arts and culture, journalists, lawyers, civil rights and women's rights activists, the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as people who have worked for a free and democratic society in Afghanistan are also acutely threatened and must be evacuated immediately.

2. The immediate expansion of the airlift to bring those at risk and their families to Germany or safe third countries. The FRG and its allies must provide escort and escort people to Kabul airport, as independent travel is currently life-threatening. Not only from the greater Kabul area, but also from other provinces it must be made possible for endangered people to leave safely. This will only be possible with military support.

3. Unbureaucratic entry with "Visa on Arrival" must be guaranteed. The asylum procedure must be accelerated in order to provide refugees with a perspective and to facilitate their integration.

4. A permanent stop to deportations to Afghanistan, the right to stay for tolerated persons and the facilitation of family reunification.

5. Ensuring respect for human rights by continuously monitoring human rights violations under the Taliban.

6. Maintaining humanitarian aid for the Afghan population.

7. Establishment of a committee of inquiry to obtain comprehensive clarification of the political missteps of the International Governments and its agencies that have led to this humanitarian catastrophe.

8. We demand US and allied forces to give Hazaras, Afghan Sikh and Afghan Hindus special at-risk status both outside and inside Afghanistan and be prioritized in all schemes and efforts of immigration. The application process and eligibility requirements should be made straightforward and accessible for these groups to prevent descrimination based on socio-ecnonomic status and linguistic proficiency. These groups have been descriminated against for hundreds of years and blocked from accessing education, their rights and western aid and will require joint efforts of the allied countries like US, UK, Germany and Australia to be helped. Taliban has and will commit further genocide specifically of Hazara people and they will be further descriminated against in all spheres of life in Afghanistan in coming weeks, months and years.

Background Information:

In April 2021, US President Joe Biden announced all remaining troops in Afghanistan would be withdrawn, ending what the president described as "America's longest war". Recent increase in attacks of the Taliban insurgents targeting the Afghan government has led to a wave of violence; resulting in high concerns of civil war.

In 2020, more than 3,000 civilians died - the seventh year in a row this has happened. Reported as of January, there have been 270,000 displaced Afghan refugees in 2021 only. 2.5 million Afghans are registered refugees (UNHCR).
June 2021 was the deadliest month in two decades of ongoing Afghan war. While Afghanistan forces killed over 6,000 Taliban terrorists in June 2021, the authorities reported the deaths of more than 700 security personnel and 200 civilians in insurgent attacks.

Taliban fighters have intensified attacks across Afghanistan and are aiming to capture more territories amid the withdrawal of US troops. The government is backing warlords and arming locals to counter militants. An emboldened Taliban insurgency is making battlefield gains, and prospective peace talks are stalled. Some fear that once foreign forces are gone, Afghanistan will dive deeper into civil war. Though degraded, an Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State extremist network also lurks. In recent weeks, the Taliban have gained several strategic districts, particularly along the borders with Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan.The Taliban control more than one-third of Afghanistan’s 421 districts and district Centers.

A third wave of COVID has overtaken the country and appears to be more contagious and deadly than ever. Concerns about deaths from COVID are secondary, whereas the Taliban causing violence being the main threat. But the effect on the overall economy and future livelihoods will be equally challenged. The COVID situation is increasingly dire, with more than 96,000 current cases, according to the World Health Organization. The two main hospitals in Kabul have shut their doors to new patients due to a limited number of beds and a lack of oxygen supply. Amid foreign withdrawal and a deteriorating security situation, this third COVID wave will be worse than the previous two. Internally displaced persons are also on the rise from conflict and drought, straining the government’s ability to provide basic services.

Afghanistan bleeds!

Parwiz, Nesam & Friends 

Based on Northern California Protest for Afghan Lives Statement facilitated by UC Berkeley Afghan Student Association, UC Davis Afghan Student Association, San Jose State University Afghan Student Association, San Francisco State Afghan Student Association

Foto: Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times ©

Sources: Badkhen, Anna. “Afghanistan: PTSDland.” Pulitzer Center, 13 Aug. 2012, pulitzercenter.org/stories/afghanistanptsdland#:~:text=It%20found%20that%2042%20percent,full%20decade%20of%20war%20ago; McKernan, Bethan. “Afghans Flee to Eastern Turkey as Taliban Takes Control amid Chaos.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 16 July 2021, www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/16/afghans-flee-to-eastern-turkey-as-taliban-takes-control-amid-chaos ; UN Refugee Agency. “Afghanistan.” The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, 2018, https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/afghanistan.html?query=Afghanistan

Source Instagram: @Theafghan