A former interpreter for the Australian Defence Force, Newcastle businessman Faisal Ahmady can do nothing but watch on in helpless horror as tragic scenes unfold in his homeland of Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, the Taliban declared victory following a lightning offensive, which in just over a week overwhelmed the democracy that the US and coalition forces fought to uphold for almost two decades.
Ahmady, who is the owner of Sunset Kebab Dine In and Take Away at Honeysuckle, is worried for his family and the uncertain fate they face as the Taliban seeks to further consolidate its rule.
He is worried the extremist group will seek revenge against those who worked with the US and coalition forces.
“I have lots of family over there at the moment. All my family have been working for the coalition forces, for the government. My cousins are doctors, nurses, English teachers.
“Some of my cousins have escaped from the city where I grew up because my family is recognised as a helper of Australians.
“It’s all because I was an interpreter.”
Ahmady’s 23-year-old cousin was among the desperate citizens caught in the chaos at Kabul airport earlier this week.
Ahmady said his cousin was one of the men filmed clinging onto an aircraft. His attempts to board were unsuccessful, and he was caught up in the stampede that ensued. His friends were tragically killed when they were run over by the taxiing plane.
People are clinging to US planes, they’re so desperate 
It’s an image Faisal Ahmady said was now burned indelibly into his young cousin’s mind.
He was suffering from extreme shock after witnessing the aftermath and “seeing all the blood”, Ahmady said.
While the Taliban has told Afghan citizens they have nothing to fear, and appealed for them to remain in the country, many aren’t convinced.
“Nobody wants to stay. That’s why they run after the airplanes,” Ahmady said.
He believes the thought of Taliban occupation is too much to bear for some. Falling from the planes was intentional in a decision to take their own life, he believes.
“[By holding onto the aircraft] they knew they were going to die. They simply didn’t want to live under a Taliban regime.”
The militant group has promised to respect women’s rights in the framework of sharia law and to forgive those who have fought against them in the past 20 years. A spokesperson said “we don’t want Afghanistan to be a battlefield anymore”, but Afghans are more than sceptical.
Ahmady said he believed the Taliban’s word shouldn’t be trusted.
“They promised the US they would not enter the capital in two months. They entered in two hours,” he said.
He also holds grave fears for the future of his homeland, as his fellow Afghan community believes the Taliban will re-establish the harsh interpretation of Islamic law they imposed when in power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
An uncertain fate
Ahmady said his family had felt the cruelty of the Taliban.
“Two of my sisters were attacked by the Taliban in 2019,” he said, adding that they had since relocated to another country but were “still living in constant fear”.
He feels an even more uncertain fate now awaits his female relatives still in Kabul.
“One of my female cousins has studied Law for four years, and today they went to university and could no longer study.
“Another cousin of mine, who has graduated, she now has to sit at home. People who have studied all their life, how can you expect them to stay home?” he said.
Ahmady’s fears and accounts are in keeping with United Nations secretary-general António Guterres, who warned of “severe restrictions on human rights” across Afghanistan since the Taliban took over.
“With Talib rule, Afghanistan is going to go back 100 years. We’ll lose our technology, our army, our knowledgeable people,” Ahmady said.
“When coalition forces were there, they made huge changes in Afghanistan. They did their best and we are very appreciative. They helped us build our country, they built our army, our special forces, our police.”
It’s progress Ahmady said would perish under the Taliban’s rule. He said US President Joe Biden had made a huge mistake in withdrawing from the conflict.
“The US was in our country for 20 years, and he left us in 10 minutes. It was the wrong decision.”
As of April 2021, the conflict has claimed the lives of an estimated 71,000 Afghan and Pakistani civilians. Some 39,000 Australian troops have been deployed to the region since 2001, and 41 of those soldiers died there.
A tale of two countries
There have been many calls for Australia and the wider international community to save Afghanis who remain in the country, however, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has admitted that some Afghanis with ties to the Coalition won’t be saved.
“Despite our best efforts, I know that support won’t reach all that it should. On-the-ground events have overtaken many efforts,” he said.
For those not rescued, there’s “no guarantee” they’ll be able to escape, or even survive, Ahmady said.
He said nations such as Canada had announced that they were withdrawing 20,000 Afghan people from the capital to be resettled as refugees.
He applauded the opportunity for a “better life and an education” for fellow Afghans. He said he’d like to see a similar response from Australia.
After being resettled here in 2014, he said “life can’t get much better.”
“You have everything in your country, in your hands. Life can’t get better for you guys right now.
“My message is to appreciate the country; the health system you have, the honest people here.
“Right now, [Afghan] people don’t have jobs, they don’t have money to survive, they have medical expenses.
“For basic food, I’ve been sending money back home [to my family].”
Ahmady said that “even before lockdown, many Australians complain about their life”.
“Life in Australia cannot compare to life in Afghanistan. Move overseas and see the difference,” he said.
The former interpreter opened his food outlet in Newcastle to share the culture and cuisine of his homeland, however admitted that since opening in June, local restrictions have made business difficult.
“Although I trusted in myself. I can handle it. I never give up.”
He said a recent Facebook post asking Novocastrians for their support resulted in a huge turnaround in business, which was now “starting to boom”.
Sunset Kebab offers a fusion of Afghani/Turkish cuisine, and Ahmady said all the ingredients were “fresh, organic and pesticide-free”.
He urged Novocastrians to come and “test” his food, saying it wouldn’t disappoint.
To support Ahmady and his business, find him here.
To support civilians on the ground in Afghanistan, donate here.
To support in rescue/repatriation efforts, donate here.
Maia O’Connor