“I’m 24, single and hear that the Taliban are stalking single Afghan women”: a student from Bamiyan, central Afghanistan – Le Monde

” I am scared. For the past few days, I have observed that the white flags of the Taliban have replaced the tricolor flags of Afghanistan.

They are the new masters of Bamiyan. My hometown, known for its two Buddhas [détruits en 2001 par les mêmes insurgés], fell on August 15, without a war. The governor has left the camp. Since then, like many other Afghan women, I have not gone out into the streets. I am worried about myself, about my future. The Taliban are triumphantly driving around the city in government cars they have seized. They take food from people by force. Bamiyan is now their city, like all the rest of Afghanistan.

“In my computer, I have not yet had the heart to delete the photos of our club, on which we are seen, girls and boys, cycling. I put them in a file and I chose the option “hide” »

I belong to a bicycle club. In this group, many of my comrades have already left. A friend of mine went to Kabul. I don’t know if it’s still there. Morally, I’m not doing well. I can’t stop crying. I wonder if I will be able to continue cycling, studying. This year, I was considering training to be part of the Afghanistan Women’s National Cycling Team. And I had already started studying English to apply for a master’s degree in geology. With the arrival of the Taliban, it is very unlikely that we women will be able to go to university and work.

I put all my sports clothes in a box that I hid, to prevent the Taliban from finding them, if they ever burst into our house. In my computer, I have not yet had the heart to delete the photos of our club, on which we are seen, girls and boys, cycling. I put them in a file and chose the “hide” option. I’m 24, single and hear that the Taliban are stalking single Afghan women. I’m afraid I will be forced to marry a member of the Taliban. I don’t know what to expect.

I am hazara [minorité chiite en Afghanistan et cible des talibans, islamistes sunnites]. The Taliban do not recognize our obedience. The last time they were in power [de 1996 à 2001], they slaughtered many Hazaras. At the time, my family took refuge in Iran.

Again, we will probably be forced into exile. Already, my older brother, who was employed by an American organization, left for Pakistan a few days ago. He was scared because of this rumor that people who worked for foreigners or for the government would be arrested or killed by the Taliban.

I am thinking today of taking refuge in Pakistan or Iran. But I don’t have a passport and the passport office in Kabul is closed. Does France give visas? What are the conditions ? “