Taliban in Afghanistan: How I ran away from radicals – SME.sk

I have thousands of books at home, I could only take a few, the Afghan-Slovak director SAHRAA KARIMI recalls the sudden departure from Kabul. She left the home shortly after the Taliban took control of the Afghan capital. He is currently in Kiev.

In an interview with the daily SME, he describes his escape, mentions whether it was possible to make films freely even during the Civil War, and explains why he thinks that the American departure was a betrayal of the current generation of young Afghans.

I am not afraid to return to my homeland, but I want to have guarantees that nothing will happen to me, says the first woman at the head of Afghan Film, which is also a member of the Slovak Film and Television Academy.

What have the last weeks been like for you in Kabul?

Confusing and chaotic. First, news began to come to us that the Taliban were occupying large cities in the provinces.

We saw that people started protesting against them, we also took to the streets in Kabul. We thought that the militants would already be fighting, that the people would side with the government. But then came the news that army commanders were arguing with the Taliban and handing it over without a fight.

How did you perceive it?

I did not understand that the same cities where the anti-Taliban demonstrations took place until recently were appropriated by the movement after only a few days. That shocked me.

Related article He ran away from the Taliban: Ghana was not a democrat, the Taliban would not allow what he did Read

This Saturday, there were reports that the Taliban controlled Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and that he was approaching Kabul. I didn’t believe it.

On Sunday morning I went to the bank to withdraw money. There were thousands of people. I waited for about two hours and then we heard gunshots.

They told us that the Taliban had already arrived in the city and we had to leave or they would kill us. That I can no longer withdraw money. They showed me a secret exit, I came out and started running.

Where?