By Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa

If you think life couldn't be any more difficult in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, think again. On December 26, 2021, the Taliban government announced that women can no longer travel farther than 45 miles (72km) without the companionship of a male relative.

In September, Zebulon Simentov, a man who claimed to be the last Jew in Afghanistan, left the country. He claimed that he was the remainder of a centuries-old community and charged reporters who wished to interview him. The Associated Press (AP) reported that Simentov might not be the last Jew in Afghanistan.

Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, one of the founders of the Taliban, announced that harsh punishments, including executions, will be implemented again. During an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on September 22, Turabi announced that the Taliban would once again carry out executions and amputations of hands. Not in public, of course, because they’ve “changed” as they like to say.

On August 17, 2021, in his first-ever public appearance, the Taliban’s longtime spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced that the Taliban would be more moderate. Mujahid also vowed that the Taliban would forego any revenge against those who resisted their return, and promised that the regime would respect women’s rights.

Humanity is indeed a young species. We arrived at a point in our civilization where old religions of past centuries hold out their claims in our culture. And the liberal ideas, growing and evolving, are still struggling to free themselves from the remnants of the dark ages. Afghan Dreamers are pushed to escape their homeland and dream outside Afghanistan.