1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:09,320 Nilob was born in Afghanistan in 1989. Her dad was a Dean at a local university, and her mom was a Professor of Architecture. 2 00:00:10,100 --> 00:00:14,240 Nilob and her family lived comfortably in the center of Kabul, the capital city. 3 00:00:15,380 --> 00:00:22,860 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. 4 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:30,120 In 1994, a more radical group, the Taliban, came to Afghanistan. They claimed to secure order. 5 00:00:30,780 --> 00:00:36,220 By the end of the year, the Taliban had controlled one third of the country. In 1995, they began a siege of Kabul. 6 00:00:36,780 --> 00:00:41,460 We spent much of the time in the basement because the air raids were almost constant... 7 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,160 and then we got used to it. 8 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:53,100 We always took something with us when going to the basement, like cards or music. 9 00:00:53,420 --> 00:01:00,920 Luckily, our family was never seriously hurt. One time, though, I remember that my mom went to work and while on the road, 10 00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:10,160 the raids started and it they were so close to her work that she couldn’t hear anything for two or three days. 11 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:12,640 She was in complete shock… 12 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:19,140 The Taliban conquered Kabul in July, and put in place a regime informed by Sharia law. 13 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,660 The everyday life of Afghan families, like Nilob's, changed significantly as a result. 14 00:01:24,260 --> 00:01:32,060 The Taliban started to spread some ideas: that women cannot go outside without a man, 15 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:38,700 that men must have the traditional, long beard, and orthodox clothing, 16 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:42,080 and that women must cover themselves… with burqas. 17 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:44,640 Women had never worn burqas in Afghanistan before. 18 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,100 It’s not in our culture, not at all. 19 00:01:46,300 --> 00:01:52,040 All girls, women, couldn’t work; they were banned from schools altogether. 20 00:01:52,420 --> 00:01:56,600 So, my dad and mom started to teach my sisters and I secretly. 21 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:02,980 Unfortunately, someone discovered that he was teaching us, and the Taliban put him in jail. 22 00:02:03,380 --> 00:02:11,060 When he got out, it was clear that leaving Afghanistan was the only way to make the whole family safe. 23 00:02:11,500 --> 00:02:16,680 Nilob’s parents began to sell their furniture and valuables to pay for a smuggler. 24 00:02:16,780 --> 00:02:22,920 My parents, they… truly love their country, incredibly much. 25 00:02:23,340 --> 00:02:29,180 So, the decision to leave Afghanistan was extremely difficult. 26 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:34,200 When my dad gave the money to the smuggler, his only words were "We need to get far away from here." 27 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:41,580 "Far away from Afghanistan, from Pakistan, somewhere, where it is safe, and there is no more war.” 28 00:02:41,740 --> 00:02:46,100 These decisions were hard; even the closest relatives usually did not know that members of their own family were fleeing. 29 00:02:46,100 --> 00:02:50,980 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. 30 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:58,140 One night, my parents just woke us up, and we left the country. 31 00:02:58,140 --> 00:03:03,120 They gave us some sleeping pills, so that we wouldn’t make any noise. 32 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:12,740 I remember waking up and looking out the car window. I just saw some lights, but I didn't know where we were… 33 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:16,120 Nilob and her family were on the road for several days. 34 00:03:16,380 --> 00:03:22,660 All the cars and rooms in which the smugglers hid them overnight had closed curtains, so that no one could see them. 35 00:03:22,980 --> 00:03:29,560 After a few days, the smugglers dropped the family off in the middle of the forest. From there, they were to continue on foot. 36 00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:32,900 We were in a forest, and our group was very small. 37 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:38,000 And then it was just us: my parents, sisters, myself, and one more person. 38 00:03:38,140 --> 00:03:44,880 But then they started running away and we were left completely alone. In the middle of nowhere… 39 00:03:44,940 --> 00:03:48,280 Czech policemen found Nilob’s family in the forest; luckily, one of them spoke English. 40 00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:53,300 He told them that they were in the Czech Republic, and that they'd need to go to the center for asylum seekers. 41 00:03:53,540 --> 00:04:02,560 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. 42 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:07,000 I remember that my mom cried every day. She just couldn’t stay there any longer. 43 00:04:07,180 --> 00:04:13,600 She missed her family, her sisters, grandmother, and her home. 44 00:04:13,740 --> 00:04:21,260 She had a life and suddenly, she lost everything. In a few days. So, it was incredibly difficult for her. 45 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:35,540 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… 46 00:04:35,780 --> 00:04:43,300 and even today when she thinks about those days, I can see how much it hurts... 47 00:04:43,380 --> 00:04:52,900 Because the uncertainty, when you are in a refugee camp… the uncertainty is the worst. 48 00:04:53,020 --> 00:04:57,380 After a month, Nilob, her parents, and her sisters were transferred to a different facility that was better suited for families. 49 00:04:57,500 --> 00:05:02,160 There, everyone was waiting for asylum. It took three years for Nilob's family to be granted asylum and to find a suitable home. 50 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:06,180 The house was old, but it was just outside Prague. 51 00:05:06,340 --> 00:05:13,040 I have really fond memories of the beginning of our stay there… the people were incredibly nice. 52 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:23,380 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…. 53 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:30,280 My parents loved it there as well. My mom had a small garden there, that she could take care of. She loved that. 54 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,240 Czech society had accepted Nilob and her family. 55 00:05:34,380 --> 00:05:41,040 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. 56 00:05:41,180 --> 00:05:49,040 Recently, however, with the current refugee crisis, and the portrayal of refugees by some Czech media outlets, sentiments in the country have changed. 57 00:05:49,220 --> 00:05:59,040 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… 58 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:09,540 I was just so surprised by what she said… And I realized that I could not be her friend anymore. 59 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,040 Her views were just so radical. 60 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,660 She knew that I am a Muslim, so how could she say that? 61 00:06:15,980 --> 00:06:21,480 She knew me, she knew my family, and she knew that we are not like that. 62 00:06:22,340 --> 00:06:29,100 But the media… the media is always saying how terrible refugees and Muslims are… 63 00:06:30,700 --> 00:06:37,440 Consequently, Nilob's classmate is not the only person to condemn refugees without having interacted with them. 64 00:06:37,700 --> 00:06:45,100 But, I have lived here for… how long… eighteen years. And I consider the Czech Republic to be my home.