The day came again, the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover on 15 August, 2021. Celebrated by the Taliban but raising dark memories for others like A, who described it to me as “the day when the black page of my country was struck, the day when all our dreams were crossed out with a red pen, the day when all my people sat with blood, the day when the black cloud came over my whole country.”
T wrote to me on the day:
“Today, on the occasion of the country's independence, the Taliban announced a public holiday and ordered celebrations throughout Afghanistan. But which independence and victory?
Victory in destruction and ignorance?
Victory in killing the dreams and goals of a nation?
Victory in staying at home and putting half of the nation in a cage?
Victory in the restrictions that are imposed every moment?
Victory in disappointing the girls of our land?
Victory in closing the gates of science and knowledge?
Victory in making a life full of fear and trembling...?
What kind of celebration and victory is celebrated if the people are not happy and do not participate...? Dear Gali, today is not a day of celebration but a day of mourning for all the people of Afghanistan. There is still no news about the opening of girls' schools and the work of women in institutions, as if there are no women in Afghanistan at all. It's been two years that we all stay at home, two years have passed like two centuries. We have spent every day with sadness and tears, tired of life.
I don't know when we will get rid of this horrible nightmare.”