War-Ridden
Kabul Afghanistan skyline cityscape by mbrand85 from Getty Images
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By Keenan W.
On 15 August, the Taliban took over Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. With Afghanistan’s takeover, twenty years of fighting for and developing human rights is disrupted and undone. Afghanistan’s fall hit the world hard, but some students and teachers at NSA, with a personal tie to the country, have probably felt the most impact.
“A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan” provides some background information, Afghanistan is a landlocked country at the crossroads of South and Central Asia. In the east and south, it is bordered by Pakistan, in the west by Iran, in the north by Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and in the northeast by Tajikistan and China. In 1979, Afghanistan was invaded by the USSR. In 1989, with the help of the U.S. and Pakistan, Afghanistan was rid of the Soviet Union which allowed the Taliban and other groups to gain fame and power in 1995 with their promises of peace and the upholding of traditional Islamic values. In 2001, the World Trade Center Towers, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field were crashed into by four commercial airplanes commandeered by hijackers. The actions that killed thousands and hurt so many others are what directly lead to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the downfall of the Taliban, and the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. In the twenty years to come, Afghanistan was slowly put together and the development and improvement of human rights were progressed. In May 2021, the U.S. started its withdrawal from Afghanistan and on August 15, Kabul fell. As this is written, the Taliban has begun their reign of terror, and Afghanistan, a war-ridden country, is again at the mercy of those who execute and amputate those they deem fit based on the laws found in the Qur’an (Gannon).
There was a time in Afghanistan’s history where human rights progressed, and during that time one of our own teachers at NSA taught at an international school in Kabul from 2005 to 2009. Mrs. Ahmadzai says that it was truly her dream job to be able to be a part of the team that started the international school. Mrs. Ahmadzai currently lives in Northwest Arkansas with her husband, and three children and has been with NorthStar Academy for eight years, mainly teaching classes in the math department.
When asked about her experiences in Afghanistan, Mrs. Ahmadzai said, “I absolutely loved my time in Kabul” and that she “actually met and married my husband while there.” She also mentioned that during her time there “security was better in the country, so we were able to drive to many places and I was able to see quite a bit of the country.” Mrs. Ahmadzai further added, “I love the people of Afghanistan because they are so hospitable. I also really enjoyed teaching the students at the international school of Kabul. They are still extremely inspirational to me as they strive to truly save their country.” Another student, who lived in a country near Afghanistan said, “the people were nice” and “didn’t want to be known as a country like Afghanistan so they tried to be as different as possible”.
As a result of the Taliban takeover, Mrs. Ahmadzai says that she is “truly heartbroken by what is going on in Afghanistan.” She says that she’s “not focused on trying to assign blame, but instead am worried about my friends and family who are still there.” Mrs. Ahmadzai makes a good point that most of us are just spectators, watching the scene unfolding in Afghanistan. There’s very little that we can physically do to change the situation, but, we can worry, we can care, we can pray, and we can support those who can do something physical about the situation.
Both of these accounts evidently show how many of the people present in Afghanistan and neighboring countries are greatly affected by the situation. In the words of Mrs. Ahmadzai, “twenty years of human rights advancement were erased overnight.” While the news reports public punishments are taking place in city squares (Makoii), is there a possibility that Afghanistan, a war-ridden country, can ever find peace?
Columns: 🔎Informational
Works Cited
Keenan W. is in 11th Grade and has been with NSA since 2019. She lives in South Africa with her family and their dogs on a grape farm. Keenan plays both the piano and the mandolin. She is also an avid reader, loves music, and enjoys watching 2000s movies. Some of her interests include psychology, criminal justice, international affairs, forensics, and politics. She hopes to one day pursue a career in forensic psychology.