Art—especially acting—has always been taboo in my homeland, Afghanistan. Even before the Taliban, it was considered a daring path, and under their rule, it has become unimaginable –as women, we are obligated to hide our voice, face, and body when leaving our homes; acting or speaking in a show is radical. After the takeover, the Taliban not only banned girls’ education beyond primary school, but they also extinguished the possibility of pursuing dreams in the arts—no music, no painting, no theater. The world of filmmaking and acting, which was already fragile, has been left in the shadows, starved of support, and silenced.
Since I was a little girl, I’ve carried a secret flame in my heart—a dream of becoming an actress. Before my country fell into the hands of the Taliban, I was a proud member of my school’s theater group. I played many roles, living out stories and emotions on stage, and for those brief moments, I felt alive in ways words cannot describe. My teachers believed in me. They saw my passion and always encouraged me to chase that spark, to follow my dreams where they might lead. Acting was not just a hobby; it was my soul’s calling.
I’ve long admired the Turkish actress and model Hande Erçel. She followed her dream, studied acting at Mimar Sinan University, and entered a world where her talent could flourish. I dreamed of doing the same—of earning my degree, stepping onto a stage, and finding my place in the world. But today, in my country, that dream is forbidden. The Taliban has stripped away not just our education but our right to imagine, to create, to express who we are.
All my hopes now feel like paper set aflame. I watch them burn, their ashes carried away on the winds of despair.
But I am not willing to let the fire die completely. As a girl from Afghanistan, denied the right to an education and the chance to pursue my dreams, I am planning to pursue my high school and college education in the United States. My only hope is to be admitted to high school in the U.S., where I can build a new life and be free to learn, grow, and chase my dreams with all my heart.
With every fiber of my being, it is the fundamental right of every person to pursue their dreams. And so, I hold tight to my hope that one day, I will find a place where my dreams are possible and encouraged to bloom.
Z. Nazari in Kabul
