For all the film communities in the world, for those who love cinema and cinema!
My name is Zahra Karimi, a film director and the current Director General of Afghan Film, the only state-owned film company founded in 1968. I am writing this with a broken heart and with the deep hope that you will join in protecting my beautiful country from the Taliban. In the past few weeks, the Taliban have gained control of several provinces.
They massacred our people, kidnapped many children, sold girls as their brides, they killed a woman in the name of dress, they tortured and killed one of our favorite comedians, they killed a prehistoric poet, they killed people associated with the government, some of our men were publicly hanged, They displaced millions of families. After fleeing these provinces, the families are in camps in Kabul, where they are in a state of disrepair. Robberies in camps and babies dying due to lack of milk. This is a humanitarian crisis, and yet the world is silent. We’m used to this silence, but we know it’s not fair. We know this decision to leave our people is wrong, we need your voice.
Everything I worked so hard for as a filmmaker in my country is likely to fall apart. If the Taliban take over, they will ban all art. I and other filmmakers may be next on their hit list. They will erode women’s rights, we will be pushed into the shadow of our homes and our voices, and our expression will be suppressed into silence. When the Taliban were in power, the number of girls going to school was zero. Since then, there are more than 9 million Afghan girls in school. Herat, the third largest city conquered by the Taliban, had 50% women at its university. These are incredible achievements that the world does not know. In these few weeks, the Taliban have destroyed several schools and expelled 2 million girls from school again.
I do not understand this world. I do not understand this silence. I will stand up and fight for my country, but I cannot do it alone. I need allies like you. Help this world pay attention to what is happening to us. Help us by telling the important media in your countries what is happening here in Afghanistan. Be our voice outside Afghanistan. If the Taliban take over Kabul, we may not have access to the Internet or any other means of communication.
Please support your filmmakers and artists as our voice, share this fact with your media and write about us on your social media. The world does not turn to us. We need your support and voice on behalf of Afghan women, children, artists and filmmakers. This is the biggest help we need right now.
Please help us not to let this world leave the Afghans. Please help us before the Kabul Taliban take over. We only have a few days, maybe days. thank you so much. I truly appreciate your pure heart.
