This audio was updated on 16th August.
The Taliban is advancing towards Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, as foreign forces prepare to fully withdraw from the country. Thousands of people are being displaced and many more are fearful about what lies ahead. Reporting the news in the country can result in death threats and loss of life, and host Nuala McGovern hears from Afghan journalists who are determined to continue working despite the dangers, including losing colleagues. Two women also share their fears for the future, concerned that their rights will go back two decades, to a time when women were not allowed to work or leave the house without an escort.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hello. I'm new labour government on the BBC world service- and this is BBC o s conversations afghanistan,
the taliban is advancing towards the capital of cobble as foreign for
is on leaving the country we hear from journalists under the constant threat of death for doing their job, and also
two working women in afghanistan who should
fears for their immediate future. Every night, a half percent nightmares nightmare of the taliban cunningly coming, but I cannot survive.
the next morning, when you get up, you feel like you're, so exhausted.
President Joe Biden such a symbolic date for full withdrawal of- u s, troops for the left
The September twenty twenty one, twenty
as to the day the islamist militant group Al Qaeda led by us.
I've been latin
carried out, a series of attacks in washington and new york. Nearly three thousand people were killed
a sum of bin laden was known to be in afghanistan under the protection of the taliban and as the taliban refused to hand them over the. U s intervene militarily in two thousand and one combat continued until twenty four
and when the afghan army was made responsible for the country's security and since then
the taliban, which want to rule with a hard line form of islamic law, have regrouped
and peace talks with the. U S has led to an agreed withdrawal,
as foreign troops leave. The taliban
has taken control of villages and cities across the country. Ten
thousands of afghans are being displaced by the conflict. Simply
porting, this news directly from the ground is extremely dangerous and michael.
He sharp spoke to to afghan journalists who are trying to share.
What's happening in their country under life threatening conditions. They are ali and first karim
We have lost more than one hundred people working as a journalist and working for the media in the past two decades, but it does
situation with which we are facing in the past three or four months. That is very difficult and it is actually a different situation which came for us and for our working for our colleagues and friends in the media,
surely we are losing every week, one of our friends or one of our colleagues or a person who is working for the media as a journalist or for the human rights or for the woman rights
the country, especially
in kabul in the capital we have targeted killing, that's not manage stopped, it's going on its continuing, but actually
I myself and my colleagues fell dead,
ray single day, all every single hour when we are
tangley. When we had at home where you with our friends or family. Just we are failing
dangerous date
actually we don't have a picture of light and hope for our tomorrow alley.
The thing that Karim says there. Does that mirror? Your experience, I think of me,
is the overall experience, but I think part of it
problem is that if you look at these journalists killings
going on for a long time and carry him said is just gotten worse over the last few months for the last couple of years and
The problem still remains that there have been instances where the taliban are the so called diy. Dyad slavic state forces have claimed responsibility for these release killings, but a lot of times it's just
passed off as unknown government and even in the past before it,
came something that was making daily headlines.
but something that it would be. You know someone on a motorcycle would calm and kill a journalist and if there were
medications. They were never
public too. I say we would not even us as journalists.
new who was killing so many of our colleagues in the media and
suddenly on and then over the last year the government
I said all ninety nine percent of it is the taliban, which it very well could be better
the same time. They ve never actually proven that. You know
you don't know what what you're being targeted for you don't know who's really killing you.
You don't know whose watching you at any time, that's a real,
fear and a real danger for journalists here and there,
the same time. You know we have things like the spokesmen for a provincial governor being arrested because he had me.
is that an airstrike killed, kill children or you heard people turning attorney general's office, saying they wanted to put right
actions on the media where, if you said things our counter narrative to the nation and warned appropriate, you could you know face
mental charges. So
on the one hand, of physical violence and, on the other hand, is the sort of efforts to try and quiet
people at and force them to censor themselves. To tell you the truth:
I cannot see my family once in a week, my family.
We are living in the capital, but I cannot go to my home or my house because of kids, because I don't want to keep.
danger, my children and my family saw. I cannot be with my friends or not all my family.
and we see this is it-
in these seed that its we see that result of that tests, which are happening every day around on the country in the past, to a team man's a large number of journalists and media workers, or they left their their job, especially women, for example, in muslim
sheriff in both in the north of our currency, when we have a lot of reports that Taliban requested the woman to stop their work, their job and leave the media. But despite that, that's not it
Aren't you both keep doing your job? What makes you stay in ITALY? Well, for you to do,
This is what I know how to do in its its responsibility towards you,
people. You know I
go on international television and convey the message to people all over the world, I can go on a radio or podcast, or you know
write articles in and take pictures, and if I can't do this much then what
Can I do I do
I believe that term that someone is voiceless, but I think that what we can do is
These someone's voice awaits were reaches further and higher in
my opinion, that's all we can do so. We have to do it because
we don't than who will yeah I'm keeping
my job and I'm continuing because of our people and our nation, and because of sacrifices that we paid during
likud's, saw it
if we stop doorway, who is going to continue the job which were,
We turn it. We studied. We educated to do is to raise our people wise and to be beside up our people in this difficult time because of our democracy because of our future,
because of our country,
a national interest. I won
whether you can each paint me a very personal picture here. I'm sorry to take you in to remind you of this, but this is very striking. Tell me
What it's like, when one of your closest friends or colleagues is killed,
I have been shocked and
when I lost my colleague during suicide attacks in kabul in the kapital, he was reporting life coverage in Kabul. We were watching
on the tv
suddenly that the picture was dark and
He was killed by another suicide attacks. Two of my friend and my colleague in Kabul. I couldn't dispute
about in ten minutes
cried aloud. I cried aloud. I was shocked, but after ten me
I was on the shore life governor john, said gas. My friend and colleague killed in couple
in the second suicide attack
at new way, endless to continue to say that my colleagues and my friend was killed because of wet, because
of the afghan people because of the country because of our democracy and because of our freedom of speech, because-
The humanity our hearts go out.
To you, because you are our colleagues doing import unimportant job there I won.
How your family's feel about you doing this job, yet
they too difficult for for our family, to tell you that through my mother is sick actual every day, because often
She is crying and she is requesting me every day to leave the job to leave the country to be safe.
She is saying, I cannot actually see when you killed one thing
I can do to help. I speak retired. I say yes, my mother, this is
the way that we have to continue. I request my brothers.
And my children to continue this. We do so when I am killed, there should be another generation. There should be another chapter of this life and this this guy.
of job he had in our country because we needed if we want to be a part of a wall. If you want to be a nation, so we have to continue. We have to pay sacrifices. Our my family, my children in my mother, dear tolerating much problems, but I
to do. I should continue and should speak with him and kissed his hands to allow me to continue
the dog for my country Annie
in my family's far
they're in the: u s most of them when they have relatives here that every time something happens, you know they're with those check and make sure that I.
Ok, you know. As fur my parents
obviously every every day, they're like. Why? Don't you come back to the? U S, why you're somewhere out? Why? Why don't you sort of almost like sensory yourself? You know like just don't
as much you know, don't travel around like a lot of times when, when, when he travelled to the provinces, they try and hide it from them. You know until I get back and there are places that have been
and if they knew that you know they find out later, but if they knew
the time that I was there, the they they'll be worrying the whole entire time, but then but then, on the other hand, they will
say like make sure the news gets out there make sure that people know what's going on and tell the truth and alley you do have that option
of leaving, because you have your family and in the united states. Has that ever crossed your mind at all. I left this country when I was little and I didn't have a choice
I want to leave because I want to leave, but not because the enemies have
the situation from which were so. I have to leave. Will it when thirty million other people cat Karim? Will you ever consider leaving, as your mum advises you too? So this is the goal of our
it means you know, or the glove
because the enemies that we should leave the country. We should leave our job. They want
a silent community. They don't want
ass. They don't want my generation. They don't want afghanistan's twenty, yes, two decades,
two thousand one up to now. They want to close this chapter.
By leaving off ass. They won't force as they want to see
to us. We we kill, you leave the country, but we, I think yes did, that that leaving is crossing in my mind every minute, maybe I decided to stay here, I decided to work. I decided to be killed, four four for a nation. You know we have a big nation if I
well for my nation. Does is proud of me. Journalists, curry,
and alley in kabul for women.
Gonna stand can be a difficult place to live in report a few days ago
human rights watch organization said the afghan government's failure to provide accountability for violence against women and girls as undermine progress to protect women's rights
gains by taliban forces, as the united states completes, its troop withdrawal leaves
current afghan state and women's rights in particular, uncertain. But as a result,
off the violence. Many people, along with their families, are idee peace, internally displaced people and
we glimpse of what life is like for women living there, Michael
James Reynolds spoke to Zahra, who is part of a women's organization and guizhou a civil servant and activist people are still waiting to get a watch, but that is a concern after menopause target killing is a huge wave of concern. Actually going around right now in couple of that may be, target curtain will be started to at the same time. You are having a lot of districts and provinces collapsed under the taliban control. The narrative is not about the peace process or peace settlement any more and the country the narrative is about war and conflict. In the middle of that, I am not sure. Yes, I do believe that it is very important that we have to be in the peace process. Women should be included, although walking into civil service commission of Afghanistan, my portfolio, a woman in the civil service, I am pushing for the sustainability of twenty nine percent of women
it work, save yourself, Afghanistan. I don't want the achievements in the past twenty years to be disregarded or have this removed or destroyed, but right now it's totally a different scenario, not sure why I think, as a people have have dense and we have to survive first, we shouldn't be killed right now we are working on a campaign talking to displaced people. Most of them are unforced
The woman and feminist and children when you're hearing their stories or their stories are sad. The stories are about unity, misery that they are going through and the story is about in a lot of families got into kabul and the huge number of id peace in the country that you need to find him a refuge. You need to find him a room. You need to find the food. I mean that is the priority. Either I mean this can be a government, nonprofit organizations or even u, n agencies, everybody's car,
if for some support, not sure if and if he can get that very soon. That is how it is in Kabul. Unfortunately, Zahra every day on the news, we report more updates on the taliban advance. How do you deal with that in Kabul? It's a fear of,
the taliban are gonna, reach, Kabul and read were: are we expect in Kabul one to be under the control?
taliban, and what are we going to accept the country to get back to the twenty years ago? With drugs?
at one of the women and we're not allowed to get out of their homes. Then we're not allowed to have their basic rights as a citizen of the country as an equal citizen, she would work too
education. And I'm really concerned right now about my life, about my my family life, this feeling of fear and concern
shared by a lot of women. A lot of men
the country, my colleagues from other provinces
on the wonder and taiwan's control. We had agreed to a text editor
day and they showed that they share their concern, and I in Kabul
italy is simplified that I not only from the bible, also feels that this is gonna come upon kabul
sooner or later, and we have to be ready for that.
A lot of my called why the members
you're thinking of other transport, getting a visa and going somewhere became
migration by now. Is it a lot of the people they had the choice, but tomorrow choice anymore, because we can simply
in live under a regime that oppressed women with that kind of violence. There was a structure
during the taliban regime, and that is not possible for someone who has a lead
a wise outside of having a public life
june. Yet I wanted to do two was I never was a game where I cannot get out of my house without a male companion or were the boycott. I I this is absolutely impossible. It used to not be like that right now, when you go home every night, a half personally nightmares nightmares of the taliban coming or coming, but I cannot survive in the next morning. When you get up, you feel as you're so exhausted.
Forest this because of the tensions you had at night. Second, you keep receiving a lot of notes, a lot of messages, as that was done said from the provinces, probably people, my family of all, living in grozny province. You just relate, if you can,
Actually, it condemned only survived that for exists, but sometimes what I do personally and my personal work, I'm saying that I shouldn't
the energy to do my daily work, I have to balance it. Otherwise everything is going to be so. I trust that we will lose ourselves
gee, so Andorra, both concerned about the future erosion of women's rights in afghanistan, students
Are also worried about the implications of the taliban take over a couple university last november, a gunman killed over thirty students. It was the second attack on an educational institution that weak
and the government declared day of national mourning the islamic state claims.
transparency for both events to understand how students are feeling in Afghanistan. My colleague, carney sharp, spoke to two of them jam should and jamila. When
sorted my school, my teacher,
and the people who live in my village? They talked about the Taliban day talked.
The days when the taliban were in power to the kids. I go about dear
human behaviour, with two women about the killings and crimes weight in and I grew up in such an it
Austria, as a citizen of
country for from my childhood and
today? I have been hearing about the dollar one.
What I saw and heard was nothing, but while killings, ignorance and inhuman behaviour with to the people and of course it
as you might know, it
increased significantly nowadays and with all that you ve been hearing about the past. When the taliban have that much control,
and when you seeing what's happening now in the country, how does that make you feel like
thousands of other afghans in the country. I am also concerned about the current situation. I am worried that,
I will not be able to continue my studies and achieve my dreams.
I wanted to ask you when you see what's happening around what do you feel about
The situation, especially as a woman. I believe that the only way that the people of Afghanistan, a tangier basic rights,
just freedom, education, democracy and other rights is accessing to education, but the problem is that the process of education is a long term and the needs more and more time. But now what is this process?
is in danger. It's really really sad to me to say that one day I am not able to continue my education and do
taliban get the control of across afghanistan and the that time
I have to leave the country, because I didn't plan to stay under the toll upon the
until taliban get full control of Afghanistan. I will not leave the country because I'm aim completely shore
That's this generation, the generation to which I belong, can make this country better
We built this country instead of destroying like the taller one genuine.
just heartening to hear the confidence you still have enough afghanistan. I wanted to ask Jamila you when you hear would jump, shit is saying about the opportunity.
stay the opportunity to make this difference.
Your generation can change it? What are your thoughts evacuation of the kind of guy? I think a lot of valuable everything, everything with this legislation and what should we do especially ghetto because
when I pass the eye test in college in a large city, I enjoy it more bigger. That's how my colleague, on this side of each group or brutal
no king about humanity and from the david is a new government is published in Afghanistan? Probably won the startled with it took up again. His son didn't know anything about islam, but did you claim that
we want to establish an economic autonomy they wanted it. Bob educating in afghanistan didn't want to make two ladys to study in the country
Do you believe, though, that if the taliban had to take over kabul that you won't be able to
adidas that will be denied to you as a woman or because they are completely authentic, grow up, didn't know about them and they are not human. Yet,
hard for the girls woman's as you
I know that the taliban have closed the schools and universities and deep provided girl surfer here, most basic gear.
human rights in areas their control. Yet there are many reports,
that show is closer close, most tolerable controlled areas, including Afghanistan, human rights commission report there
They show that europe cannot continue their education. Woman cannot leave
hundred out their closest family members, which taliban is called moran and
besides this, they are killing civilians, destroying infrastructure so which should the governments and the people into past decades were trying to build, let's just being
camilla back just tell us for you as a females
You didn't yourself. What does it feel like at the moment to have
freedom to go to university, and what will it mean if the
Caliban does come into cobbled and take over a thing or two
me, but all the girls of afghanistan lose their dream student.
Jamila and jam shit on their hopes and fears for the future as the taliban.
It continues to threaten the stability of the country and people's way of life.
new to mcgovern- and this has been BBC o s- conversations afghanistan?
Thank you for listening. There
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Transcript generated on 2023-07-06.