An Afghan woman fleeing Kabul

By Wednesday, Nilofar Ayubi knew his name was on the Taliban’s list. He heard the news from a friend — the same friend who told him on Sunday that the Taliban were going door-to-door in the neighborhoods trying to find women like him, the same friend who warned him that now was the time to leave. to hide. The women on the list were journalists, politicians, pilots, business entrepreneurs; what they had in common was that they had been talking loudly and constantly about women’s rights in Afghanistan for years, online and on the IRL.

Ayoubi is one of thousands of women who have built a prosperous and prosperous life in Afghanistan over the past two decades, but with the fall of Kabul, their success and perseverance have been pursued. Even the United States has long emphasized the rights of women in Afghanistan would be the basis With any peace deal with the Taliban, that promise is now shattered. While the Taliban carry out their writing in the capital, Ayoubi and other women’s rights defenders have been left to fend for themselves.

On the same day, August 18, Ayoubik, 28, took a young woman who worked for her fashion brand to smuggle cars home from various parts of the city. It was safer for women to travel in packages, accompanied by male colleagues, who now functioned as de facto bodyguards.

For Ayubi, one of the first and youngest to build his own furniture production company in Afghanistan, the bad news was constant; a network of his friends and activist members constantly beat each other in places where the Taliban set up checkpoints. Seventy-two hours after the fall of Kabul, his home and office were searched four times by armed men, who asked workers and neighbors about the whereabouts and belongings of his family.

At first, Ayoubi was reluctant to leave behind everything he had built: his prosperous business, his home, his family. But in recent days, he has despaired of taking his three children to safety, away from the hands of the Taliban.

“They’re everywhere,” BuzzFeed News said. “They learned about us from social media and the media, especially those of us who talked about terrorism in the Doha peace talks.”

Ayoubi insisted on speaking on the record despite the threat to her life. “I’ve talked enough times to be on a success list, so talking now won’t change anything,” he said. “I want to inform the world of the current situation.”

Just a few weeks ago, before the Taliban took over Kabul, Ayoubi was on the roof of his building, singing with neighbors and tweeting #AfghanLivesMatter. At the time, the French newspaper Le Monde quoted: “If the Taliban come to Kabul, they will burn everything we have built in these 20 years. As I look around, what can I take with me? My three children and maybe some clothes.”

Since the fall of the capital, women like Ayoubi have been confused to look for a way out with their families. Some of his friends have left Afghanistan. But women on the Taliban list are walking on a tight rope where a wrong step could lead to death. When the Taliban in power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, they banned women and girls from being educated and forced to wear burkas outside the home. They could not work at all, nor could they leave the house without a man’s cap. Penalties for violating this code ranged from public whipping to executions.

A document has been spread on social media and in group chats for people trying to figure out how to leave the country. The author, who said he works as a consultant to a regional government and asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the document includes public information on visa processes, as well as advice on security and travel logistics. received from diplomats and other relations in the country.

“People can send advice, and I’ll check their accuracy before I put it on,” the author of the document told BuzzFeed News. “This information is mostly available, but buried. Access to information is a major obstacle. ”

But the document seen by BuzzFeed News also provides a vivid picture of what it means to navigate the maze of bureaucratic, logistical and personal challenges for Afghans trying to reach Kabul International Airport.

“You need to carry as few things as possible, not pets,” the document says. “Only small hand luggage (for example, a bag) is allowed, and it is subject to the space limit. No tight hand luggage is allowed.”

Getting to the airport is not easy. The document advises people to arrive at Hamid Karzai International Airport before the Taliban closes before 9pm, but as evacuation staff are working 24/7, the listed departure time for passengers may be reduced by a few hours. At the moment, the document says, there are no flights from Afghanistan except Kabul.

“The U.S. government has confirmed that they cannot ensure a safe passage to the airport: you have to make the arrangements yourself,” he says.

To enter the airport, people are required to show some paperwork that they often store on their phone, so the document suggests that people print these essential files and carry an external phone charger. “Passing Your Airport Access is your livelihood,” the document says.

However, he warns that some of the information he provides may not necessarily be reliable, especially the collection of names and organizations that offer to help people escape.

“I have listed some contact details below, but I cannot be 100% sure of the authenticity of these projects,” the author wrote. “I do not recommend trusting these beneficiaries for high-risk Afghans: remember that anyone can implement these projects and use your data to phish, including the Taliban.”

Ayubi said he does not know when he will try to escape.

On Friday, he was hiding in a low-income neighborhood with his children, mother, cousins ​​and friends while his company’s “loyal employees” guarded the door and brought them food, he said. In the past, these men worked for Ayubi at a store that sold Niko Design, decorated living room furniture, children’s bedding, herbal furniture, and Ayoubi-branded designer clothing: Maria Clothing, Maria Bride, and Maria Carpet. He sends hand-woven Afghan rugs around the world. Now, they are the ultimate defense against the Taliban.

Ayoubi’s days are all about checking for Twitter updates, surfing the net, looking for the latest information on safe routes outside the country, and then thinking about disconnecting from the Internet and “low chances of survival”. For now, he can’t plan for a big future, but he hopes to leave Afghanistan in the end, somehow.

“This is the complete opposite of the life my children and I had,” Ayoubik said. “I built my life from scratch, and now we’re back to square one.” ●