Once Upon A Time In Afghanistan: The Journey of Hope

By Nazila Sawhney and Raymond Aaron

Once Upon A Time In Afghanistan shows us Afghanistan from a strikingly different point of view. You will observe the stark differences of a country we know so little about. Nazila draws attention to her birthplace as a place where tourists from all over the world would flock to experience adventure in entertainment, food, and fashion. In fact, fashionistas and tradespeople alike would import Afghan fur jackets and vests to the UK and the United States. The hippie look became a fashion must have when the Beatles, Ringo Starr and John Lennon wore the Afghan coat  in 1967 at the launch of their The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Album.  The coats became a craze. In 1969, Vogue Italy featured Afghan fashion on the cover of Vogue Italy in its December issue- "The Afghan Adventure."

But, soon everything changes. In the summer of 1983, it's around 3 am when Nazila and her family realized that it's time to say goodbye. Quietly, they pack a few belongings; a change of clothes, water, and fresh naan bread that her grandmother packed to take along for the journey.  She holds back her tears, her throat choking painfully as she says goodbye to her family. That day, decades later, is still vivid in her memories. Years later as a fashion designer she utilizes her platform to share the beauty of her country amongst the ruins. To most people she is immersed in a world of glamor, living in an imaginary world, but she shows us how she finds happiness and fulfillment in an unexpected place.

Nazila's story outlines the fall of Afghanistan and her personal struggles during the war.  

Starting all over in a foreign country, she and her family face challenges, isolation, and fear as they start a new life. She sees her parents in a new light, much different than what she was used to. She remembers her dad in his slim fit suit, polished leather shoes, and her mom in a silk midi dress, both looking elegant, as they go off to work. It's been two years since her parents have been living in India as refugees.

Flashbacks of her younger days become a blueprint of the lessons learned. We learn that we all want happiness, but more often we look for happiness in the wrong places, mistaking pleasure for happiness. Reminiscing her childhood she takes us on a journey as a young Afghan girl in a place that was once majestic, adventurous, and fashion forward. Afghanistan, a country that is now labeled as one of the worst places on earth.  Her story is heartwarming, thrilling and inspirational.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781772775556

Book preview

Introduction

Like most artists, I embrace the imaginative creative space that serves as a security blanket, a privilege of indulgence in the mind space that dwells on lingering memories and the search for emotional relief. As a fashion designer, I found comfort in finding a way to show the other side of Afghanistan: its past. Weaving the beauty of Afghanistan’s architecture of hand painted tile work in my collections was my initial attempt at giving my audience a different point of view and an opportunity to see beyond the invisible. Displaying the intricately hand embroidered, colorful, ethnic Afghan dresses, momentarily painted a picture of an unfamiliar Afghanistan.

Based on popular belief and social media backed disinformation on Afghanistan, it’s easy to believe that Afghanistan’s culture has always backed a modest, fundamentally Islamic way of life. But in reality, Afghanistan, prior to decades of war, was once the center of modern revolution. Afghanistan had become an exotic destination for Americans and Europeans alike.

The exchange of cultures led to dramatic political and social change. Afghanistan was captured in Vogue Italy as Afghan Adventure, as early as 1969. Soon, women in Afghanistan adopted mini-skirts, short dresses, and bold eyeliner as they kept up with the world’s fashion trends. Meanwhile, the country’s economy was booming with tourism, fashion, and an appreciation for Afghanistan’s hybrid culture of the old and the new.

As a child growing up in Afghanistan, I remember my birthplace through my vivid memories and flashbacks, where there existed the excitement of learning, dressing up, movies, music, and life’s normal ups and downs, but most remarkably, the reminiscence of the spirit of freedom and harmony.

Chapter 1

August 25, 2021

1

It was a hot summer day in Arizona and the sun was beaming through the window, making it hard for me to watch the television screen. I walked over to close the shades, my gaze still on the television screen. I could hear the cries of a mother looking for her baby girl in the stampede of people at the Kabul airport. The reporter’s voice cracked as she tried to remain calm and clear. The woman, desperately looking for her five-year-old child, could be heard pleading with the US army. Please, just find my baby. I don’t want to get on the plane without my baby.

On another news channel, there was video footage of a baby being lifted from the crowds of people, over a wall, to be handed over to the US marine officers in a desperate attempt to be revived. That scene was a terrifying reality, which could have been prevented. The reporters at Fox News were in shock, and yes, imagine surrendering your newborn child to the US Marine officers to get medical aid, and what must have gone through that mother’s mind—only a mother can imagine. Families were separated in huge crowds that were running for their lives; it was not only heartbreaking but shameful to see this situation in a country that has suffered for 40 years. Now the allies that helped the United States against the Taliban are handed over to the Taliban itself. Local Afghans and Afghans around the world prayed that this was not the end.

The general public in the United States slowly paid attention, at first not understanding the extent of the complex situation that Afghanistan has faced. Many were confused, and there were mixed opinions about the current situation. The situation in Afghanistan is too complex to understand, so people, and especially the United Nations, soon took on the head in the sand tactic. Nonetheless, the reality is that the situation could have been handled differently, with compassion, and it’s a matter of morality towards Afghans and those who were America’s allies.

The day was coming closer and there was a certain feeling of uneasiness, anxiety, and fear. The US army had served in Afghanistan for 20 years, and President Biden had ordered the army to withdraw on August 25th, 2021. For many Afghans, this was terrifying because the army’s duty and responsibility was towards the civilians and their safety from the Taliban during those 20 years where the US army patrolled the grounds and protected the borders. While the US army felt they were searching for terrorists in Afghanistan after 9/11, Afghans found solace. Most civilians in Afghanistan were not aware of the reason the United States army was in Afghanistan, but they felt guarded against Taliban’s inhumane treatment of the general people. Kids attended school, including girls. Women found freedom in living a life where they could do what they desired to, learn, and earn a living for their families. Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996–2001. The return of the Taliban was now a reminder of the most terrifying experience, where Afghans lived in fear, and it was too soon to relive. Many Afghans lost their freedom, their families, their ability to provide for their families, and their basic human rights.

The Taliban’s ideology of an Islamic law is so barbaric that there was no hope for a normal life. Women were denied accessibility to education. Young girls were being married off after just completing 8th grade. The Taliban’s dictatorship style of forced law and rules made life in Afghanistan unbearable. In fact, Afghanistan was not even in the news until now, and some people had not heard of Afghanistan previously, aside from movies where it was mostly shown as a place of terrorism and grounds for terrorists.

Some Afghans whose lives were in danger due to their affiliation with the US Embassy, were promised an exit from the country, but the timeline was too narrow for many of them to exit safely. Panic driven Afghans rushed to the airport; however, hours of waiting in traffic led to a stampede of people. They were lining up and crushing each other to get to the gates of the airport, where only a few days were left before they would be forbidden to leave. But until the army was there, the civilians felt the courage to make it to the airport.

Time was running out, but men, women, and children were lining up and often were seen being pushed around as everyone was trying to secure their seat on a plane. Children were crying in terror; some infants were seen being handed over to military officials over the wall to the other side, where the army officers remained in control. Parents were so exhausted that they began to lose consciousness and consequently were trampled to death. The infants were revived with water and taken away from the scorching heat. They were seen in the arms of the officers, being pacified and taken away from the crowds of people in unbelievable states of fear and panic. This fear remained, however, and a suicide bomb blasted suddenly at the Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 26th. According to CNN reporters, at least 183 people lost their lives that day.

Just when we thought we had seen the worst, to my astonishment, the madness only grew. What seemed to be a scene from a James Bond movie was trending across social media platforms. Unfortunately, unlike any James Bond scene, where he softly lands on his feet onto the ground from a 30,000-foot airplane wing, the Afghan boys fell off, 30,000 feet to the ground, and died.

News channels shared news of young men climbing onto the wings of some military cargo, hoping the pilot would let them get inside to safety before taking flight. The Washington Post reported on the three men, two of which were later identified as Fada Mohammad, a dentist, and Zaki Anwar, a teenage Afghan soccer player. I was watching in disbelief as the video began to grow in views. How was this happening? People commented on the foolishness and wondered, How stupid are those Afghan boys? As humans, we tend to make definite conclusions; we believe what we see, and without knowing the story behind people’s reasoning and actions. And to this I have to say that unless you have experienced what life is like in Afghanistan, opinions cannot be formed about such horrific incidents. To some of these boys, the risk of falling 30,000 feet was far less fearful than living a life under the Taliban regime.

People continued to camp out on the grounds and waited and waited for their chance to get on a plane to go anywhere to just be away from Kabul and the life they dreaded to face. Some families were stuck at the airport grounds for 4 days. They were not permitted inside, so they slept on the grounds outside. They