For his safety, we will use ‘Aryan’ as his name in this story.
Aryan is a young man around his twenties, who is from the southern province of Afghanistan. As most of us know, it is a very religious place. Around the age of 16, he began educating himself by reading books and journals on human evolution. Through this, he developed his own views on religion and became an atheist. That’s when his real struggle began. People became suspicious of him and eventually discovered his atheism. He was beaten up by friends who found out. This all happened before the Taliban took over.
(The Taliban is an Islamic movement in Afghanistan and Pakistan that emerged in 1994. They waged a guerrilla war and, in both countries, control large areas with significant populations.)
When the Taliban took power, they started searching for ex-military people and others who do not follow Sharia (Islamic law). As a result, Aryan had to flee to Iran with his family. However, he was unwillingly returned to Afghanistan five months ago after being caught. His family is still in Iran. Meanwhile he has already applied for a passport with the help of a few helpers from Freethinkers International. However, it will take several months for his passport to arrive due to the current situation, and the Taliban carefully checks every application. So, it is urgent for him to leave for a safer country. He has set his sights on a European country where human rights are respected and where he and his family can be safe. This country also offers scholarships to Afghans that are relatively easy to apply for. Although he is in contact with several organizations trying to help him, the process is anything but easy.
In Aryan own words: “I’ve relocated within Afghanistan three times in the past five months due to reports of the Taliban searching houses to find ex-military and other non-religious people. It’s dangerous because if they find me, I’m done. It’s as if the people in Afghanistan can’t believe there’s a Westernized atheist in the heart of the Taliban’s territory, yet atrocities are committed here constantly. There is so much more to tell,” he says, “but that would fill an entire book.”
Given all these reasons, he decided to flee to Iran illegally, as visas are not being issued, and embassies are closed. Aryan fled to Iran three years ago, but it’s also not a safe place for atheists or illegal Afghans like him. As mentioned earlier, the situation he feared eventually happened. On his way to work, he was caught and deported back to Afghanistan. He is now living in constant stress, knowing that if the Taliban catch him, it could mean execution. For the past five months, he has been in hiding, unable to provide for his family. His only hope of staying alive in Afghanistan is to obtain a scholarship to study computer science, which he is passionate about, and to move to a safer country in Europe. To do this, he needs a bank statement showing 7,000 euros over six months. Once he provides that money and the statement is verified, he will be issued a visa, allowing him to travel to the safer host country in Europe. Time is running out; the longer he stays in Afghanistan, the more danger he is in. He needs to leave as soon as the opportunity arises.
When asked what he would like readers to know more about you, Aryan said: “I want them to know that as someone who cherishes democracy and science, I don’t deserve to be killed by the Taliban just because I left Islam and supported democracy. I want them to know how ruined my life is. I want them to know that for the three years I was in Iran, I worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, at a very hard job, earning just $90 a month to feed my family. Living in Iran was also very tough for me because I was an illegal Afghan there, and I’ve experienced that many Iranians are racist and hate us with passion! I want people to know that I’ve tried my best for the past three years to support my family and avoid being caught and killed, but there’s no other way left now except getting this scholarship. Also, for the past month, I’ve been sick and have a pilonidal cyst on my back that needs surgery. It hurts so much that I can’t even sit properly, but I don’t have money to see a doctor or buy antibiotics. This isn’t to gain sympathy; this is the life I’m living, and I’m running out of time because I know sooner or later, they will find me.”
So, I sincerely ask you, reader, to help Aryan and his family by donating whatever you can spare. Your generosity could make all the difference in making his goals more achievable and in providing a much safer future for him and his family.
