Afghan refugees settle in Saskatoon after Taliban takeover, look ahead to life in Canada

The Taliban, Farkhonda Tahery mentioned, have been all the time shut in Afghanistan. “We may really feel their presence all over the place,” she informed World Information.

“We may see that they’re all over the place as a result of there have been quite a lot of explosions.”

However she by no means thought they’d overwhelm her dwelling so rapidly.

Tahery, 24, is adapting to her new life in Saskatoon but in addition coming to phrases with the life and future she and husband Jawid Sarwary, 28, left behind in Afghanistan.

Sarwary mentioned he knew they must depart when U.S. President Joe Biden introduced in April that American troops have been withdrawing fully from the nation. Tahery thought the worst-case situation can be if the Afghan authorities have been to succeed in a power-sharing cope with the fundamentalist group.

However what coalition, and particularly American, forces and efforts inbuilt 20 years fell to the Taliban in simply 10 days. The Taliban conquered their first provincial capital on Aug. 6 and the nation’s capital Kabul on Aug. 15.

World Information shouldn’t be revealing the place Tahery and Sarwary lived or how they escaped as a way to shield their households, buddies and anybody else who will attempt to take the identical route.

They mentioned they felt betrayed by the Afghan authorities for falling so rapidly and never combating like they believed the army may.

Each attended college. Tahery labored as a researcher and Sarwary as a software program developer. They mentioned they each have been hoping to pursue extra schooling and get their Masters levels, in sociology or knowledge science for Tahery and in knowledge science or synthetic intelligence for Sarwary.

They mentioned they counted themselves amongst 1000’s of younger Afghanis who have been working to construct higher lives for themselves and for his or her nation.

When requested what the nation’s future may need been, Sarwary mentioned Afghanistan may have regarded like Canada or the US.

However the Taliban, they informed World Information, halted any progress.

“Their insurance policies, their ideology, their mentality wouldn’t permit Afghanistan to develop. They’re making an attempt to shut each door to Afghanistan,” Tahery mentioned.

“If you’re pondering on a regular basis about… your personal, simply, security, to… not be overwhelmed or not caught by Taliban… you can’t take into consideration the way forward for a rustic.”

Tahery mentioned Afghanistan is now affected by a ruined financial system, lack of safety and the Taliban’s conservatism.

That conservatism — fundamentalism — will stop ladies and ladies from collaborating in society or going to highschool.

All Afghanis will lose their freedom, she mentioned, as a result of “you can’t give the liberty to half of the inhabitants whereas (the opposite half) are simply imprisoned in their very own homes.”

“You’d lose pleasure, you’d lose hope, you’d lose… the human sources to construct a rustic, to make it a greater.”

Sarwary mentioned he hid in his home for 2 weeks after the Taliban took over, stating, “in the event that they take you they are going to positively kill you as punishment.”

He mentioned he and his buddies erased knowledge and contacts from their telephones in case the Taliban seized them, to guard different individuals.

With the assistance of the Prince’s Belief Charity, they got here to Canada. They arrived on Sept. 14 and have been residing in a lodge since then.

In a number of days they’ll transfer to a home to start out their new lives.

They mentioned they’ll work to enhance their English.

“I feel that’s step one for each newcomer right here,” Tahery mentioned.

“After which we’re planning on doing our Masters.”

They mentioned their preliminary impression of Canada — in addition to the chilly — was how numerous the nation is.

“We couldn’t see two individuals wanting acquainted. We may see that individuals are from very completely different international locations. In order that was what was attention-grabbing for us.”

When requested what about Afghanistan they hoped Canadians would know, they each mentioned that it’s not only a war-torn nation.

“We’d wrestle with language however we have now so much, we have now a set of abilities right here,” Tahery mentioned.

“We are able to contribute to the group of Canada.”

A query about what they left behind proved an excessive amount of for Sarwary, who wanted to step away from the interview.

When he returned, he mentioned he’s frightened for his household and buddies who’re nonetheless within the nation.

“I’ve involved and frightened (sic) about my households, particularly my brothers and my sisters… they’re left behind,” he mentioned.

They fled so rapidly they weren’t capable of inform their households they have been leaving till after they have been gone.

It doesn’t matter what he does, Sarwary mentioned he’s all the time conscious others are trapped.

“It’s a fancy of enjoyment and responsible,” he mentioned.

“It’s bizarre,” Tahery added, saying when she goes outdoors to understand the climate “abruptly you keep in mind, like, ‘what occurred to that buddy?’ ‘What occurred to that member of the family?’ It’s a loopy feeling you don’t get pleasure from.”

She mentioned it’s heartbreaking to know what Afghanistan goes by means of and never with the ability to do something to cease it.

They are saying they’d like in the future to return, if Afghanistan is ever freed.

However they know they’ve a greater future in Canada — even when they’ll all the time surprise what may have been.

“We now have our struggles, however then we have now our selections,” Tahery mentioned.

“It’s very good residing right here.”