The author is a young Afghan woman who became friends with a member of UU Mass Action who was teaching her English. They remain close and continue to learn from each other.

By Nargis Alavi, formerly of Afghanistan, currently safe elsewhere; April 2025

When the Taliban was about to take over Afghanistan and the districts were falling one after another, everyone talked about how people should rise up. Then the provinces fell too, and again we all talked, but no one took real action. The government was collapsing, provinces were being sold out, and Afghanistan’s president ordered the military to withdraw from the districts. It was clear what was happening.

But still, there was time for us to rise and say no to oppression, but we didn’t.

The people were tired, tired of war, of losing their loved ones, and that’s completely understandable. We didn’t have enough awareness to raise awareness. We had no one to look up to as a leader to guide us and help us stand against the Taliban, whose rule meant injustice and cruelty.

But now it’s too late. We have lost our hopes.

We can’t compare the politics of the U.S. to Afghanistan, but oppression always has the same meaning, and dictatorship always follows a similar structure.

I believe that before it’s too late for your country, the people of America must act. In the end, the real power belongs to the people. If you keep protesting and standing up, there’s still a chance things won’t continue this way. Or at least Trump and his supporters will understand that playing with the fate of people and other countries isn’t that easy, and not everything can be bought and sold.

Now it’s not too late for you. Still, you have not lost hope. This might be your chance.