‘Don’t let them catch me alive, kill me first’: this is how the main Afghan pop star fled from the Taliban

Refugee in Istanbul, the Afghan pop star Ariana Saeed report to AFP how she left Kabul in disguise, fearing she would be recognized by extremists that have threatened her for a long time. “Don’t let ’em catch me, kill me first“She begged her fiancé on the way to the airport.

Most popular Afghan singer Aryana Saeed with 1.4 million followers on her Instagram account who looks like reality queen Kim Kardashian, sparked the anger of clerics and conservatives in his country for his songs that defend women’s rights and denounce the violence against them.

President of the jury of The Afghan Star, a program for young people organized by the television channel Tolo News, The 36-year-old star could not roam freely in Kabul and lived in his city under protection, restricting his movements.

On August 15, he attempted to leave the country hours after the Taliban entered Kabul, as US forces completed their withdrawal preparations. But the plane he got on didn’t take off.

He took refuge with relatives before a second attempt the next day. Insurgents were present at all checkpoints and their fighters – armed with Kalashnikovs – surrounded the airport. The last foreign forces have failed to channel the desperate crowd rushing to the airport.

A convoy formed: her fiancé and manager, Hasib Sayed, in one car and she in another. They communicated by walkie-talkie.

Recognized by an interpreter

“That’s when I said, ‘If they’re about to catch me, please kill me. Bullet in the head. Don’t let them catch me alive. This is what I feared most, much more than death“, To explain.

The pop star knew he was taking a risk by launching his fashion label in Kabul in July, as Westerners left the country.

“I always wanted to believe in the future, so I decided to invest“, To explain.

That night, she dressed in black, her face hidden under a sanitary mask and glasses, with Hasib’s nephew sitting on her lap to look like a normal family.

“We tried to get him to memorize what he had to say in the event of a check. “If we are arrested, I am your mother and my name is Fereshta. Will you remember? ‘“, need.

Arrived at the gates of the airport, guarded by American soldiers, Hasib pushed his way through the crowd. “People were jostling each other, there were children, babies, women passing out“, remember.

The soldiers refused to open the way for them, favoring the passage of American citizens. But one of the performers identified Hasib and explained that he was the boyfriend of the biggest Afghan star, whose life was in serious danger.

Today’s Taliban “are the same” as before

Thanks to him, the couple arrived in Doha, then in Kuwait and finally in the United States, from where they moved to Istanbul, their new place of residence.

On your terrace, Aryana Saeed explains that Afghan women today are better educated and better informed about their rights than under the previous Taliban regime (1996-2001).

“Afghan women are no longer those of twenty years ago», He details with pride and but also with sadness, while his compatriots continue to demonstrate in Kabul in defiance of the brutality of the Taliban.

The star calls on foreign governments to understand that today’s Taliban “they are the same“They are those who were expelled from power by the West after the attacks of September 11, 2001.”Hope the world realizes that there are no new Taliban“, To explain.

Aryana Saeed dedicated most of her songs to Afghan women, despite the danger. “With the Taliban, I have no place because they want my life, my blood“, to resume.

Although she recognizes that certain artists inspire her, such as Jennifer López or Beyonce, she emphasizes the differences between them.

“Imagine what it means to put on a musical performance in a bulletproof vest. I don’t think they must have been there. Our lives are different. I would have liked to have the same as them. But what to do against the chance that gave birth to you in a country at war like Afghanistan, ”she says with resignation.

(Por Fulya Ozerkan – AFP)

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