One of the signs at the protest against US refusal to allow Afghan people to flee to the US.

In order to understand the situation in Afghanistan, including who the Taliban is, we have to listen to the voices of Afghani people. Here is a video of a protest organized by Afghan refugees and Afghani-Americans here in the US. The protest was held in Fremont, CA on the border of Silicon Valley, on Saturday, August 21. A second video of a similar protest in Oakland on Sunday will follow. It is a start towards getting that understanding.

Among other things, note the sign “Zindabad (Long Live) Afghanistan” and the comment about “war profiteers”. Also note what they young man who was raised in Afghanistan says – about how a “war mentality” was created during the war against the Soviet Union’s invasion. Note the passion of the girl who’s speaking and what she’s saying – how people are desperate to get out of Afghanistan.

It’s true that these are not necessarily a fully representative cross section of Afghan society. What are poor people in isolated rural areas thinking, for example? But still, there is a lot to be learned from listening to these voices.

Also see
The Women of Afghanistan vs. the United States and the Taliban
Afghanistan from an Indian Perspective
Afghanistan: Some Preliminary Thoughts