Ambassador in conversation: – ‘It was a very dark year for Afghanistan’

„krone“: Madam Ambassador, the Taliban have been in power for another year in Afghanistan. How is your balance?
Maniza Bakhtari: It has been a dark year for Afghanistan. The collapse of the republic was not just a change of government. It was the collapse of an entire system, a collapse of people’s dreams and desires. We have seen how the Taliban arrested, tortured and killed people. In particular, members of the former military and their families. They have denied young girls access to schools and universities and are now telling them how to behave, how to dress.

We have lost all freedoms. The Taliban are harboring terrorists again. The head of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, lived in a building in central Kabul before he was assassinated there. The Taliban are showing their true nature again. They are terrorists and they are holding the country hostage, ruling with fear and death. The past year has destroyed everything we’ve tried to build for the past twenty years.

Afghanistan is again in the media for the “anniversary”. Compared to their first reign of terror from 1996 to 2001, have you noticed a change in the behavior of the Taliban?
They really learned how to behave in front of international cameras. Even when he is being interviewed by a woman. The Afghan media, on the other hand, is suppressed. But we’ve seen some changes. It is a new generation of Taliban that knows how to take advantage of the media, especially social networks. This was all forbidden in the past. They have changed, but not for the better. Last time, women were forced to wear a burqa. They toned it down a bit this time. Instead of the burqa, women now have to cover their entire body and wear a mask on their face.

What is your status? Are you still the official ambassador of Afghanistan?
Yes, I have my accreditation and I represent the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Austria. The Taliban cannot recall me either, because that would require diplomatic recognition of their regime.

In our interview a year ago, you said you put hope in the youth who grew up without the Taliban. What do you think about it?
Yes, I have hope in our youth and in civil society. I couldn’t believe that after 20 years of democracy and freedom, society would without a doubt accept another relapse into a dark age. I hoped they would fight the Taliban. Sadly, most of this generation have fled the country. And those who stayed are afraid. But month after month, young women are now taking to the streets for their rights.

It is clear that the protest against the Taliban is mainly led by women.
These women have nothing, only their voices and their posters with simple demands like: “Give us an education”, “Give us a job”, “Give us food”. They are not armed, but are driven out at gunpoint by the Taliban. That was not the case last time. We were afraid to go out on the street. We didn’t have the knowledge or the courage to fight the Taliban. But these girls grew up with a knowledge of freedom and democracy. For many, it’s not about a change of government at all, just a desire for education, food and work.

When the Taliban returned, resistance formed in the various clans in Afghanistan. what happened to it
There is resistance, especially in the north and in the province of Panschjir. Not particularly large, but more and more groups are forming.

Also in our last interview you said that the history of Afghanistan shows that no regime stays in power for long. Is that still your hope for the country?
Yes, because Afghanistan is a versatile, colorful country. Different clans with different languages ​​and cultures. If a group claims leadership and does not accept or involve the others in decisions, this group usually does not last long. That is still my hope for the Taliban.

Are you actually disappointed in the West?
Twenty years ago, the West and Afghanistan embarked on a joint journey to establish democracy. We are grateful for that, but instead of focusing on military armaments, it would have been better to invest in education, women’s rights and a functioning civil society. The world has now moved on. Afghanistan is no longer a priority for the West. The discourse about our country is dying out. This is sad and tragic.

Many in Afghanistan fear the approaching winter. The country has no money and a humanitarian disaster is imminent.
Yes, people are poor, people are dying and famine is imminent. I hope the international community will not forget Afghanistan. But we need to find a mechanism that takes the Taliban out of control of these tools. Since they only hand out money and medicine to their fighters, it never reaches the people. An example: we had two major earthquakes in southern Afghanistan. There were tons of AIDS, but they never made it south. Where’s all the money? If the Taliban want to keep it, why not use it to get the economy going? Because they don’t care about people. And because they have no idea how to run a government.

Do you still have hope for Afghanistan?
i have hope yes Hope is all that remains for me and for many people in Afghanistan. As I said, if the Taliban want to stay in power, they will have to share power or they will disappear again. I was initially in favor of an inclusive government. But then the Taliban used puppets and called it an inclusive government. Now I have a different opinion: we should have free elections.

I believe in democracy and that we should be guided by democratic values ​​such as free elections. Whoever wins free and fair elections should be allowed to rule the country. If the people at the polls want the Taliban to rule, so be it. But I don’t think the Taliban would ever win an election. Whoever governs must be aware of a new reality and respect values. It’s very simple: respect for women’s rights, human rights, individual freedom, freedom of the press. We hope this will happen one day. And that’s what we fight for.