NL Interview: Afghan model on living under the Taliban

Ayeda Shadab, 28, is a model, entrepreneur and social media influencer. Her stepfather, a deputy governor of Logar province, was killed by the Taliban two years ago. Her mother, a former senator, and sister, also a model, now live in mortal fear under Taliban rule. Ayeda herself is in Turkey.

She speaks with Nidhi Suresh about the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and what it means for her, her family and fellow Afghans. “Our lives are in danger because women who work outside and don’t wear scarves, who post their pictures, we are the Taliban’s enemy,” she says.

Ayeba claims the Taliban had threatened her over her work even before the takeover. “But we were just being positive. We had to do it, I mean we didn’t have any other way. We had to just face it. We can’t do that anymore. At that time we had our government, we had our people behind us. Now we don’t. We have lost everything.”

Watch.

Text by Utkarsh Tripathi.