Allison Hurst
Multi-Skilled Journalist,
CTV News Vancouver
Published Saturday, August 28, 2021
People gathered in Downtown Vancouver on Sat., Aug. 28 in support of Afghanistan. (CTV News)
VANCOUVER -- Vancouver’s Art Gallery square was filled Saturday afternoon, with Afghans and supporters who want to raise awareness of what’s going on in Afghanistan as the U.S. withdraws its military occupation and as the Taliban forcefully seizes control of the country.
“In a way we are the voice for the unheard and we want to be there for them,” said organizer Ahmadwaly Yasin.
More than 100 people turned out, listening to speakers and playing music as they stood together in solidarity and support of one another. Many are demanding that the Canadian government provide more assistance for families still there.
“It’s very sad. I have family members they are finding ways of getting out but unfortunately the exits are all closed,” said Farid Ziarmal. “If you’re intellectual your life is in danger in Afghanistan, if you’re peace loving your life is in danger… Everybody is basically in danger.”
Yasin said he wants to see the Canadian government increase its offer of welcoming 20,000 refugees, to 50,000.
“We would like Canadian government to bring 50,000 refugees in a shorter period of time. Because five years from now we don’t know what’s going to happen in Afghanistan,” he told CTV News Vancouver.
“Right now the Taliban are being watched by the entire world, so they are behaving. The moment they’re not being watched anymore, everything will just go downhill.”
The rally came a day after the U.S. government launched an air strike targeting ISIS-K officials.
“Two high profile ISIS targets were killed and one was wounded,” said Major General Hank Taylor, with the U.S. army. “And we know of zero casualties.”
The air strike was in retaliation for a suicide bomb that killed more than 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. marines in the country’s capital, Kabul.
“Last two days, it is miserable,” said Tara Pedraz. “I am very stressed out, like, since this Taliban come back.”
One man at the rally, who didn’t want to give his name in order to protect his family still in Afghanistan, told CTV News Vancouver, his family can’t get out.
“The Taliban has shut the passport department, they are not giving any passport or any travel documents for people,” he said. “Yesterday my sister called me, (she said) ‘Hi brother can you send me some money just to buy some food for today and tomorrow?’ Banks are closed, western union is closed, no money, no food, no shelter.”
He said foreign help is still needed for people living in that country, and he is begging Western countries not to leave Afghanistan completely.
Published Saturday, August 28, 2021
People gathered in Downtown Vancouver on Sat., Aug. 28 in support of Afghanistan. (CTV News)
VANCOUVER -- Vancouver’s Art Gallery square was filled Saturday afternoon, with Afghans and supporters who want to raise awareness of what’s going on in Afghanistan as the U.S. withdraws its military occupation and as the Taliban forcefully seizes control of the country.
“In a way we are the voice for the unheard and we want to be there for them,” said organizer Ahmadwaly Yasin.
More than 100 people turned out, listening to speakers and playing music as they stood together in solidarity and support of one another. Many are demanding that the Canadian government provide more assistance for families still there.
“It’s very sad. I have family members they are finding ways of getting out but unfortunately the exits are all closed,” said Farid Ziarmal. “If you’re intellectual your life is in danger in Afghanistan, if you’re peace loving your life is in danger… Everybody is basically in danger.”
Yasin said he wants to see the Canadian government increase its offer of welcoming 20,000 refugees, to 50,000.
“We would like Canadian government to bring 50,000 refugees in a shorter period of time. Because five years from now we don’t know what’s going to happen in Afghanistan,” he told CTV News Vancouver.
“Right now the Taliban are being watched by the entire world, so they are behaving. The moment they’re not being watched anymore, everything will just go downhill.”
The rally came a day after the U.S. government launched an air strike targeting ISIS-K officials.
“Two high profile ISIS targets were killed and one was wounded,” said Major General Hank Taylor, with the U.S. army. “And we know of zero casualties.”
The air strike was in retaliation for a suicide bomb that killed more than 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. marines in the country’s capital, Kabul.
“Last two days, it is miserable,” said Tara Pedraz. “I am very stressed out, like, since this Taliban come back.”
One man at the rally, who didn’t want to give his name in order to protect his family still in Afghanistan, told CTV News Vancouver, his family can’t get out.
“The Taliban has shut the passport department, they are not giving any passport or any travel documents for people,” he said. “Yesterday my sister called me, (she said) ‘Hi brother can you send me some money just to buy some food for today and tomorrow?’ Banks are closed, western union is closed, no money, no food, no shelter.”
He said foreign help is still needed for people living in that country, and he is begging Western countries not to leave Afghanistan completely.
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Hundreds rally in Vancouver in support of Afghans amid Taliban takeover
By Simon Little & Kamil Karamali Global News
Posted August 28, 2021
There is growing outrage and fear over the crisis in Afghanistan after the country fell to the Taliban and the Canadian evacuation mission ended. Kamil Karamali has more on how the dire situation is prompting people around the world to hold protests.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery Saturday to support the people of Afghanistan and urge the Canadian government to do more for those left behind after the Taliban seized power.
The Vancouver event was held in tandem with similar rallies across the country, including Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal.
READ MORE: Canadians rally to raise awareness on Afghanistan crisis as feds end evacuations
Demonstrators say they want the international community to increase pressure on the Taliban to adhere to human rights, and to step up efforts to get people safely out of the country.
“All lives in Afghanistan are in danger right now,” organizer Ahmadwaly Yasin told Global News.
2:17A B.C. woman’s fears for women and girls left behind in Afghanistan under Taliban rule
Since the collapse of Afghanistan’s government and the Taliban’s consolidation of power, Afghans in British Columbia have been sharing their fears of bloody retribution.
READ MORE: ‘They’re not going to have mercy on our family’: Fear for women, girls left in Afghanistan
Many say they do not believe the Taliban has changed or will adhere to promises not to exact revenge on people who worked with the international coalition during the war.
The fate of women and girls, whose rights were severely curtailed under the last Taliban government and who were forced into marriages at young ages, is of particular concern.
5:34The uncertain future of Afghan women and girls
Zarifa Joya, an Afghan-Canadian who said most of her relatives remain in Afghanistan, told Global News she’s worried sick.
“It’s been like 20 days, we can’t eat, we can’t sleep. There’s no taste to my food. When my kid comes home, he’s crying, I’m crying,” she said.
READ MORE: ‘They tear at our souls’: Canada ends Kabul evacuation effort as many left behind
Another rally attendee, who asked for anonymity out of fear of putting family in Afghanistan at risk, shared a similar message.
“If the Taliban find out that a part of my family is translator with U.S. army, for sure they going to come and find my other brothers and other family and they’re not going to leave them alive,” he said.
Canada officially ended its evacuation efforts from Afghanistan on Thursday.
Canada pledged to take in 20,000 at-risk Afghans who had helped Canada during its military intervention, but officials said only 3,700 were transported out before airlifts stopped.
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
'Heart-wrenching': Edmontonians rally to push for action amid Afghanistan crisis
Ashley Joannou 6 hrs ago
Crystal Hakimi and her sister Mizhda were supposed to visit Kabul for the first time with their father this year, something Crystal called “a dream I have held in my heart for my entire life.”
Ashley Joannou 6 hrs ago
Crystal Hakimi and her sister Mizhda were supposed to visit Kabul for the first time with their father this year, something Crystal called “a dream I have held in my heart for my entire life.”
© Provided by Edmonton Journal People protesting the Taliban retaking Afghanistan after the planned withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces, outside the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, August 28, 2021. Ed Kaiser/Postmedia
Instead, the sisters, whose parents left Afghanistan in the ’80s, were among hundreds who marched to the legislature in Edmonton Saturday as part of nationwide rallies to support the people of Afghanistan days after the Canadian government ended its efforts to fly people out of the country that has been taken over by the Taliban.
“After a long history of war, that small opening (for a visit) has been closed and I am not sure if the chance will ever return again in my lifetime,” Crystal told the crowd gathered with flags and signs condemning the Taliban.
“I believe that I can speak for all Afghans when we say that this past few weeks has been heart-wrenching. And yet my grief as a young woman in Canada is minuscule compared to our brothers and sisters left behind — the people that have to live this torture every single day.”
Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan was ended Thursday. Federal officials estimate Canada was able to airlift approximately 3,700 people out of the country before ending the operation, but an unknown number of Canadians and their families are still trapped, as well as vulnerable Afghans who fear Taliban reprisals.
Taliban forces sealed off Kabul’s airport Saturday to most Afghans hoping for evacuation.
Instead, the sisters, whose parents left Afghanistan in the ’80s, were among hundreds who marched to the legislature in Edmonton Saturday as part of nationwide rallies to support the people of Afghanistan days after the Canadian government ended its efforts to fly people out of the country that has been taken over by the Taliban.
“After a long history of war, that small opening (for a visit) has been closed and I am not sure if the chance will ever return again in my lifetime,” Crystal told the crowd gathered with flags and signs condemning the Taliban.
“I believe that I can speak for all Afghans when we say that this past few weeks has been heart-wrenching. And yet my grief as a young woman in Canada is minuscule compared to our brothers and sisters left behind — the people that have to live this torture every single day.”
Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan was ended Thursday. Federal officials estimate Canada was able to airlift approximately 3,700 people out of the country before ending the operation, but an unknown number of Canadians and their families are still trapped, as well as vulnerable Afghans who fear Taliban reprisals.
Taliban forces sealed off Kabul’s airport Saturday to most Afghans hoping for evacuation.
People protesting the Taliban retaking Afghanistan after the planned withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces, outside the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, August 28, 2021. Ed Kaiser/Postmedia
Speakers at the event in Edmonton urged the Canadian government and international community not to recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government and to do more to help those left behind.
Tassala Attai, who fled Afghanistan 20 years ago, has family in the country, including some who worked for NATO. She said they have the appropriate papers but can’t find a way out.
“I, along with many others, feel disappointed in the lack of effective support for the Afghan people by the Canadian government,” she told the crowd while calling on the government to continue the evacuation flights.
“We cannot stand by and watch innocent lives proceed to die on social media.”
Mizhda said her cousin, who worked as an interpreter in Afghanistan, was lucky enough to have his papers processed in time to get out of the country four days before the Taliban seized control.
“He was waiting for so many years. We were all calling people, contacting people, (asking) ‘When is it going to be done? When is it going to be done?’ Until finally it was,” she said.
Mizhda said she can’t imagine the people still living in Afghanistan going back to the way the country was under previous Taliban control. “That wasn’t living,” she said.
She encouraged Edmontonians to put pressure on their politicians to do more to help the crisis that is unfolding.
“What about the people that are remaining? Literally the gates closed and everyone was standing their holding their passports, holding their documentation and they said, ‘Go to the borders.’ And what? Walk past the Taliban to get away? This is unimaginable.”
— With files from Canadian Press
Speakers at the event in Edmonton urged the Canadian government and international community not to recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government and to do more to help those left behind.
Tassala Attai, who fled Afghanistan 20 years ago, has family in the country, including some who worked for NATO. She said they have the appropriate papers but can’t find a way out.
“I, along with many others, feel disappointed in the lack of effective support for the Afghan people by the Canadian government,” she told the crowd while calling on the government to continue the evacuation flights.
“We cannot stand by and watch innocent lives proceed to die on social media.”
Mizhda said her cousin, who worked as an interpreter in Afghanistan, was lucky enough to have his papers processed in time to get out of the country four days before the Taliban seized control.
“He was waiting for so many years. We were all calling people, contacting people, (asking) ‘When is it going to be done? When is it going to be done?’ Until finally it was,” she said.
Mizhda said she can’t imagine the people still living in Afghanistan going back to the way the country was under previous Taliban control. “That wasn’t living,” she said.
She encouraged Edmontonians to put pressure on their politicians to do more to help the crisis that is unfolding.
“What about the people that are remaining? Literally the gates closed and everyone was standing their holding their passports, holding their documentation and they said, ‘Go to the borders.’ And what? Walk past the Taliban to get away? This is unimaginable.”
— With files from Canadian Press
People protesting the Taliban retaking Afghanistan after the planned withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces, outside the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, August 28, 2021. Ed Kaiser/Postmedia
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