Afghan nationals cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman on August 20, 2021 to return to Afghanistan. AFP/Getty Images
While the West blames Afghans for the Taliban's takeover, it ignores its own failures in this conflict.
Media perpetuates the myth of "white savior", leaving Afghan voices out.
Americans don't get the war, because they don’t know Afghans.
Ariana Arghandewal, a travel writer, was born in Afghanistan.
This column is an opinion piece. These thoughts are solely the author's.
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"My heart breaks for Afghanistan." This week, there have been a continuous stream of tweets and texts from well-meaning Americans. This exact sentence was spoken by my Afghan friends for two decades. It is also accompanied by "May God grant our people freedom from the cruelty of foreigners."
What happened in Afghanistan last week was not as catastrophic as the two decades of military occupation. It has been difficult to see the US and its allies aligned themselves with brutal warlords. It has been devastating to read about the countless drone strikes that have killed innocent civilians.
Since 2000, my heart has broken as these crimes went unpunished and corrupt leaders were elected - which eventually bolstered support to the Taliban. It was a shock to see how little the world valued Afghan lives and their right to self-determination.
Yet, here we are 20 years later. The American public is still baffled by the conflict and why their country was not saved from the grasps of savage bearded man.
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We were blamed for starting a war that we didn't want
My birth was during civil war in Afghanistan. My family fled Afghanistan when I was 2 years old, and settled in Germany. Although I've lived in Germany for most of my adult life, I still feel connected to my roots and have relatives there.
These roots were my anchor after 9/11 when Afghans were denigrated in US media to gain support for invasion. The cruelty I witnessed quickly destroyed my ideals of what the US represented: justice, righteousness and champions for freedom.
A series of condescending opinion pieces have blamed Afghans and blamed them for the outcome. They also absolved the US and its allies. Recently, President Joe Biden stated that "We gave Afghans every opportunity." We couldn't give them the will to fight and secure their future.
Many people forget that Afghanistan was once a proud nation that fought against foreign invaders long before American troops arrived. The late Afghan President Daoud Khan stated once: "We will not allow you to dictate how we run our country and who to employ in Afghanistan. Afghanistan shall remain poor, but it will be free in its acts, and decisions.
Afghans have faced all the greats with determination: Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. In the Soviet conflict alone, one million Afghans were killed.
Afghans have repeatedly shown that they are willing to sacrifice their lives for their independence. This is true regardless of whether it is dictated by Western powers, or in the service of a government that blindfolds them for decades and then abandons their country at the first sign that trouble arises. This was something the Americans didn't know about Afghans in 2001 when they marched into war. They continue to ignore it today.
Afghans are not included in the narrative
The Western media has distorted the narrative about Afghanistan. Foreigners have shaped the narrative about Afghanistan's political and media landscape. They have dictated what ideals to fight for and which leaders to support, when to surrender and when to get into arms. Afghans are either villains or victims in the narrative of "white savior".
The 2001 war on Afghanistan saw Afghans labeled traitors. Terrorist sympathizers. "You can either be with us or against. This branding is still in place today.
The villains are the Afghan soldiers who left their posts to refuse to fight for corrupt politicians. Victims are those who hang on to American planes. Americans are able to avoid all responsibility by shooting Afghans at the airport tarmac, and cancelling commercial flights to evacuate their personnel.
If I say that I hope for peace, it is a terrorist sympathizer. Americans want to hear from everyone that they are afraid and that the future is grim.
There is no place in between where we can express our gratitude for the fact that there isn't the same bloodshed after 1989's Soviet withdrawal. That once-conflicting leaders are now coming together to not only kill one another, but to make peace.
While you can feel for the children and women left behind, it is impossible to hope for peace in the face of the evil one. If we continue to accept the accepted narrative, our voices will be silenced again.
"Afghanistan shall be poor, if needed, but free"
America's intervention in Afghanistan cost billions of dollars and thousands upon thousands of lives. This was not a humanitarian mission, despite the claim of its premise.
Armed soldiers weren't patrolling the country, handing out flower crowns or spreading sunshine. Civilians were murdered, often in horrendous fashion. Corruption was rampant at the hands US-backed leaders. Drone strikes claimed the lives of thousands and left many survivors traumatized and maimed. It was all carried out peacefully for over 20 years.
As America leaves Afghanistan, with guns blazing, leaving behind its so-called Afghan allies, Afghans are again being vilified for not fighting for a corrupt government that has repeatedly failed to them.
The current peace is temporary, and I know that there may be more violence and persecution in the future. I refuse to let the bad things get in the way of the bright future. In Afghanistan's long, arduous history, no one has "brought peace" to the country. Afghans must foster it. It's something I long for.
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