What girls are allowed to dream

War. Misery. The loss of their home, fear for the future and the need to flee are surreal for many in Germany. But not for everyone. Parastas’ family comes from Herat in Afghanistan and fled to Germany two decades ago. This article was created in collaboration with Parasta.

Likes and shares, back and forth. Instead of 20:00 daily news, now 24/7 information on social media. Participate politically at the push of a button. Almost out of nowhere to many, Instagram stories about the Taliban being back in Afghanistan over the past few weeks take place the normal daily life of social media. City after city fell like dominoes to the Taliban.

Most of the stories I see are from my former classmate Parasta.

I ask her how it happens that from one day to the next she started taking the floor for people on the run. "What is your goal?"

She is thinking about my question.

A short moment of silence and a flood of wordsl follows.

 

The last time the Taliban passed through the country, Parastas uncle and his family had to flee to Germany. Parastas uncle had an opinion and comes from a free minded family.

The last time the Taliban were in power, her mother was a student.

After eight semesters of medicine, it suddenly came to a halt.

Her mothers friends married for the protection of a man.

Her mother married Parastas father and went to Germany.

They have built themselves a life up here together. To have a chance to live a life without fear. Her mother works as a nurse now, but she did not become a doctor. I feel Parast's anger rising up. Parasta is now studying medicine.

“And that's exactly what all the other girls in Afghanistan are going through now. How many dreams are about to burst? And the saddest thing is that people have fought for the past 20 years - especially the youth. "

For example, one of Parastas' cousins.

She is a teacher and she has one child. But she is also single because she left her husband. The separation was in response to his sympathy with the Taliban. She took his son away from him. She is scared to death now.

If you ask Parasta, the youth is more open and the girls are more rebellious than ever.

Most people in Germany want to study business administration or medicine. Even if education goes hand in hand with prosperity in Afghanistan, many girls want to study politics and law in order to become moderators. By doing so, they risk being excluded from society by exposing their name and face.

Still, Parasta hopes that change can no longer be stopped.

She prays for the future of young people.

The television separates us from people who might as well have been us.

Young people who are afraid of the future. Girls who may no longer be allowed to dream and are now in dire straits. The idea of ​​equality and freedom are slowly receding into the background. In the foreground is the mere fear of death.

And suddenly it's quiet. But my question has not yet been fully answered. "Why are the stories so important to you?"

In a nutshell: She wants to show the perspective that we are forgetting. A German-Afghan perspective, that is supposed to break through our filter bubble.

Hardly any independent journalists can report from Afghanistan. Talking in Afghanistan means fear of persecution.

Parasta wants us to stand up for people who have no voice.

We are supposed to be loud to save the lives of others.

We have a choice. We don't have to be afraid. We should use and share our privilege.

Spread the word!