Nilob was born in Afghanistan in 1989. Her dad was a Dean at a local university, and her mom was a Professor of Architecture.
Nilob and her family lived comfortably in the center of Kabul, the capital city.
However, the removal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989 brought about various militant groups. These groups vied for control over territories in the country through the 1990s.
In 1994, a more radical group, the Taliban, came to Afghanistan. They claimed to secure order.
By the end of the year, the Taliban had controlled one third of the country. In 1995, they began a siege of Kabul.
We spent much of the time in the basement because the air raids were almost constant...
and then we got used to it.
We always took something with us when going to the basement, like cards or music.
Luckily, our family was never seriously hurt. One time, though, I remember that my mom went to work and while on the road,
the raids started and it they were so close to her work that she couldn’t hear anything for two or three days.
She was in complete shock…
The Taliban conquered Kabul in July, and put in place a regime informed by Sharia law.
The everyday life of Afghan families, like Nilob's, changed significantly as a result.
The Taliban started to spread some ideas: that women cannot go outside without a man,
that men must have the traditional, long beard, and orthodox clothing,
and that women must cover themselves… with burqas.
Women had never worn burqas in Afghanistan before.
It’s not in our culture, not at all.
All girls, women, couldn’t work; they were banned from schools altogether.
So, my dad and mom started to teach my sisters and I secretly.
Unfortunately, someone discovered that he was teaching us, and the Taliban put him in jail.
When he got out, it was clear that leaving Afghanistan was the only way to make the whole family safe.
Nilob’s parents began to sell their furniture and valuables to pay for a smuggler.
My parents, they… truly love their country, incredibly much.
So, the decision to leave Afghanistan was extremely difficult.
When my dad gave the money to the smuggler, his only words were "We need to get far away from here."
"Far away from Afghanistan, from Pakistan, somewhere, where it is safe, and there is no more war.”
These decisions were hard; even the closest relatives usually did not know that members of their own family were fleeing.
Nilob and her sisters had a vague idea of where they were going, but did not know exactly when they would leave or where the smugglers would be taking them.
One night, my parents just woke us up, and we left the country.
They gave us some sleeping pills, so that we wouldn’t make any noise.
I remember waking up and looking out the car window. I just saw some lights, but I didn't know where we were…
Nilob and her family were on the road for several days.
All the cars and rooms in which the smugglers hid them overnight had closed curtains, so that no one could see them.
After a few days, the smugglers dropped the family off in the middle of the forest. From there, they were to continue on foot.
We were in a forest, and our group was very small.
And then it was just us: my parents, sisters, myself, and one more person.
But then they started running away and we were left completely alone. In the middle of nowhere…
Czech policemen found Nilob’s family in the forest; luckily, one of them spoke English.
He told them that they were in the Czech Republic, and that they'd need to go to the center for asylum seekers.
Nilob and her family stayed in the center for about a month. Life in the camp, however, took a toll on Nilob’s mother from the onset.
I remember that my mom cried every day. She just couldn’t stay there any longer.
She missed her family, her sisters, grandmother, and her home.
She had a life and suddenly, she lost everything. In a few days. So, it was incredibly difficult for her.
Plus, she didn’t know how long it would take before we get asylum, if we even ever get asylum, because we had heard so many stories… about families that were sent back…
and even today when she thinks about those days, I can see how much it hurts...
Because the uncertainty, when you are in a refugee camp… the uncertainty is the worst.
After a month, Nilob, her parents, and her sisters were transferred to a different facility that was better suited for families.
There, everyone was waiting for asylum. It took three years for Nilob's family to be granted asylum and to find a suitable home.
The house was old, but it was just outside Prague.
I have really fond memories of the beginning of our stay there… the people were incredibly nice.
If they didn’t know you, they kept a distance, but once they got to know you, they were always helping us. They brought us fruits, and other things….
My parents loved it there as well. My mom had a small garden there, that she could take care of. She loved that.
Czech society had accepted Nilob and her family.
Her dad found a job in radio, while her mom still takes care of the house. Her sisters are either working or are still in school.
Recently, however, with the current refugee crisis, and the portrayal of refugees by some Czech media outlets, sentiments in the country have changed.
For example, I had a good friend who used to be my classmate. But last year, she posted something on Facebook about Muslims and I asked her what she meant by it…
I was just so surprised by what she said… And I realized that I could not be her friend anymore.
Her views were just so radical.
She knew that I am a Muslim, so how could she say that?
She knew me, she knew my family, and she knew that we are not like that.
But the media… the media is always saying how terrible refugees and Muslims are…
Consequently, Nilob's classmate is not the only person to condemn refugees without having interacted with them.
But, I have lived here for… how long… eighteen years. And I consider the Czech Republic to be my home.