{"id":8622,"date":"2025-02-26T08:18:36","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T23:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/?p=8622"},"modified":"2025-02-26T08:19:30","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T23:19:30","slug":"from-darkness-to-dawn-escaping-taliban-oppression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/news\/from-darkness-to-dawn-escaping-taliban-oppression\/","title":{"rendered":"From Darkness to Dawn: Escaping Taliban Oppression"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Story of Ahmad*\u2019s Journey to Freedom<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Raza Syed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

London Post \u2013 In the heart of London, a 35 year old man sits quietly in a small, dimly lit room, his eyes reflecting the weight of memories from a home he was forced to leave. His name is Ahmad, and his journey from Afghanistan to the UK is one of survival, loss, and an unyielding hope to reunite with his family.\u3000\uff5cHINDI<\/a>\uff5c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahmad fled Afghanistan in 2021, just two weeks before the Taliban seized control. \u201cI was terrified,\u201d he recalls. \u201cWhen they came, they would have killed me.\u201d His crime? Working for a development and education organization that published schoolbooks for Afghan children. The Taliban accused him of promoting democracy, calling the books a Western conspiracy. When they sent him a warning letter, he knew his life was in imminent danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t even go to my own village,\u201d he says. \u201cThey would have killed me there.\u201d His wife, fearing for his life, made the painful decision. \u201cAt least you will still be alive,\u201d she told him, urging him to flee. Ahmad\u2019s departure was bittersweet\u2014he left behind his wife and two children, including a newborn daughter he had never met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey to the UK was perilous. \u201cIt was 100% dangerous,\u201d Ahmad says. Traveling through treacherous routes, he often went days without food, surviving on leaves from trees. Smugglers dictated their every move. \u201cWe were under their control. They hurt us, swore at us, treated us like we weren\u2019t human.\u201d Along the way, he saw families desperate to reunite, facing horrors\u2014women and young boys fell victim to brutalities, and those caught by border guards risked their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After months of harrowing travel, Ahmad finally reached the UK by crossing the Channel in an overcrowded boat. \u201cIt was meant for eight people. We were more than thirty,\u201d he says, his voice heavy. \u201cI want to thank the British force that saved us. If they hadn\u2019t, I wouldn\u2019t be here today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the same day he arrived in the UK, his wife gave birth by emergency caesarean. \u201cI called home, but she was too weak to speak.\u201d The separation has been agonizing. His eldest daughter doesn\u2019t understand why her father is gone. \u201cShe always asks, \u2018Where are you? Come home!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahmad claimed asylum upon arrival and was taken to a detention center, where he received five pounds and a phone to contact his family. Life in the UK was a struggle. He moved between hotels and shared accommodations, barely able to afford food, let alone anything else. \u201cI wanted to work, to support myself and ease the burden on the government, but without a work permit, I felt trapped,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two years after his arrival, Ahmad was granted refugee status. \u201cI was in a shopping center when I received the call. It was life-changing,\u201d he recalls. Yet, the elation was short-lived. Forced out of government accommodation within 14 days, he found himself sleeping in a dining room for two nights before a kind friend took him in. \u201cSometimes, when he has guests, I sleep in the car,\u201d Ahmad admits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the hardships, Ahmad remains hopeful. He now has a job and dreams of building a future. But his biggest wish remains unfulfilled\u2014to bring his wife and daughters to safety. The legal process is painfully slow. It took six months just to get Afghan passports for his children, and his wife endures daily stress from authorities questioning his absence. \u201cIt\u2019s been three years. A husband and wife can\u2019t survive without each other,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahmad\u2019s wife and children remain in Afghanistan, living under Taliban rule. His wife isn\u2019t allowed to leave the house alone, not even to buy milk for their children. The stress is taking its toll. \u201cMy wife has to ask others for help with even the smallest tasks. It\u2019s unbearable,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite everything, Ahmad remains resilient. He dreams of contributing to the UK, proving that refugees seek not handouts but opportunities. \u201cPeople think we come here for benefits,\u201d he says. \u201cBut no one leaves their home unless they have no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He calls for a legal pathway for refugees, not just for their sake but for UK security. \u201cIf there was a safe, legal way, people wouldn\u2019t risk their lives. The UK could check who is coming. Most are women and children, vulnerable and in danger,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahmad\u2019s story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. He dreams of a future where his family can join him, and he can contribute positively to British society. \u201cOne day, I hope to do something good for this country. And one day, I hope to hold my children again,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His message is one of hope and understanding. \u201cI want the world to stand with Afghanistan and all those in danger. There shouldn\u2019t be any difference between refugees and how people from different countries are treated. I want equality for everyone, whether they\u2019re from Ukraine, Afghanistan, or anywhere else. They should have the same rights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I prepared to leave, the sorrow of being separated from home and family was evident in his eyes. I silently prayed for a world where peace prevails, so that no one would ever be forced to part from their loved ones due to oppression, injustice, or the need for safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note:The name \u201cAhmed\u201d and the location mentioned in this article are fictionalized for the sake of protecting lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is brought to you by London Post<\/a>, in collaboration with INPS Japan<\/a> and Soka Gakkai International<\/a>, in consultative status with UN ECOSOC<\/a>.<\/strong>INPS Japan<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Story of Ahmad*\u2019s Journey to Freedom By Raza Syed London Post \u2013 In the heart of London, a 35 year old man sits quietly in a small, dimly lit room, his eyes reflecting the weight of memories from a home he was forced to leave. His name is Ahmad, and his journey from Afghanistan to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,42,19,16,32],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8622","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-asia-pacific","8":"category-europe","9":"category-population-immigration","10":"category-news","11":"category-regions"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8622"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8625,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8622\/revisions\/8625"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}