August 15: The Day the Republic Fell and Humanity Was Enslaved

Sent to Zan TV

Written by Tamim Atayee – Afghan Journalist in Exile

The Fall of a Flag, the Collapse of a Nation

August 15, 2021 was not just the fall of Kabul; it was the day the hope and future of a nation were shattered. With Ashraf Ghani’s escape and the collapse of the Republic, the streets of Kabul were emptied of the sound of freedom, and the white flag of the Taliban was raised over a city that had once been a symbol of the struggle for human rights, democracy, and gender equality.

In less than a few hours, the image of women was erased from the walls, the laughter of children fell silent, and schools sank into enforced silence. Kabul, once the host of global conferences on women and peace, became a prison enclosed by ideology.

Collapse or Deal?

This collapse was not only the result of the weak political structure and the corruption of the previous system, but also a sign of a hidden deal at the regional and global level. Evidence indicates that:

• The Taliban entered Kabul without fighting.

• The military hierarchy ordered forces to withdraw.

• Kabul airport turned into a scene of fleeing government officials and politicians.

• The people, defenseless and bewildered, watched the return to an era of darkness.

Women – The First Victims of the Taliban’s Ideology

The fall of the Republic dealt its first and heaviest blow to the women of Afghanistan.

In the first weeks:

• Girls’ schools above the sixth grade were closed.

• Women were banned from work, sports, art, and even entering parks.

• Women activists were arrested, tortured, raped, or disappeared.

Brain Drain – Migration Out of Necessity

After the fall, an unprecedented wave of migration by elites, academics, journalists, and civil society activists began:

• Thousands of Afghans left the country in the first months.

• Universities were left without professors, and scientific centers without specialists.

• Independent media outlets were shut down or brought under Taliban control.

Kabul airport, which became a scene of people clinging to airplanes, turned into a symbol of absolute despair.

The Project to Whitewash the Taliban – A Betrayal of the Truth

Amid the intensifying humanitarian crisis, some governments and international figures attempted to portray the Taliban as “normal”:

• Holding staged peace conferences with the Taliban.

• Visits by foreign figures such as Cheryl Benard, who described Afghanistan as “safe” for women.

• Circulation of promotional videos by tourists.

These efforts, coupled with the deadly silence of international institutions, effectively contributed to legitimizing a repressive regime.

Education System – Engineering an Obedient Generation

The Taliban have turned education into a tool for reproducing their extremist ideology:

Removing scientific subjects such as physics, chemistry, and social sciences, or altering their content based on an extremist interpretation of Sharia.

• Closing girls’ schools and dismissing female teachers.

• Promoting a generation without questions, without women, and obedient to the Emirate’s structure.

Migrants – Victims Once Again

Millions of Afghans, after the fall, faced a new crisis in neighboring countries and Europe:

• Forced deportation and discrimination in Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey.

• Suppression of voices and civil activities in Turkey.

• Years of uncertainty in European asylum cases.

• Abandonment of thousands of Afghan collaborators with international forces in the United States.

Conclusion – Keeping the Collective Memory Alive

August 15 must be remembered as the day when not only a political system but also human values in Afghanistan collapsed. Forgetting this day would be a betrayal to future generations.

The Taliban may have raised their flag over the Presidential Palace, but in the hearts of thousands of women and men, the Republic, education, and the dream of freedom are still alive.