Afghanistan. A country located in Central Asia, surrounded by formidable mountains full of valuable treasures and deserts covering most of the landscape. This country is known for being the plaintive and poorest country globally, although Afghan people are known for their hospitality, courage and gallantry. Afghanistan burned in a long 40-years’ war, and Afghans were the only victim of this bloodiest war. They had to face so many fears and desperation in this war. The only dream that every Afghan citizen has is peace and living a better life for their children. 

On August 15, 2021, Taliban fighters who called themself “Mujahedeen” took over Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and marked their government known as the Islamic Emirates. The Taliban’s actions in the past have shown that they don’t want democracy and are not opening school doors to young girls. The only thing Afghan girls want is education and to be treated equally as men.  

The fear of being killed by the Taliban, losing freedom and being judged by other people has forced Afghan people to leave the country and immigrate to other counties.  

Those who immigrated to other countries have faced many challenges, from learning a new language to fitting into a new culture and society. Junior Sana Naibkhil said, “The struggle that we faced coming to the United States was not only learning the language, but also my parents had to find a job and fit into the new culture. My father had to work a two-part job to support our living finances. For me, the most difficult part was to adjust schoolwork and new people at the same time.”  

Almost every new immigrant that had come to the United States had faced challenges and struggles. Junior Tamana Chakari shared her experience, “As an Afghan immigrant in the United States when the Taliban took over Afghanistan unexpectedly, I was so shocked that I couldn’t even believe that it was true. It was the worst nightmare of my life because my parents were in Kabul when the Taliban took over Afghanistan. I was worried about my parents, but also for the innocent’s people of Afghanistan who had to face that nightmare, too; they only thing that they wanted to live a happy life.”  

This is not only one Afghan immigrant voice; thousands of other Afghan immigrants struggle to share their voice. Many people have the empathy to work for these immigrants who had no choice but to leave their home country with tears in their eyes.  Senior Nazaneen Abed said, “Our responsibility as a society is to support them, give them money if we have enough for ourselves, and don’t let them feel lonely and poor. We want them to feel that some people care for them. Like I am planning to make an Afghan club for us here at school to help fundraise money for immigrants to help them out in any way possible as we can.”   

So, let’s take each other’s hand and help each other no matter what skin color we have, what is our background, religion and race are. We are all humans and our responsibility is to look after each other and treat each other with kindness and respect. 

Senior- Nazaneen Abed