Afghanistan, the Taliban and the liberation narrative: Why it is so vital to be telling our own stories

Abstract

Commentary: In the context of a liberation narrative, an Afghanistani broadcaster and cultural affairs adviser now living in Aotearoa New Zealand, examines the problems with this narrative when applied to the recent controversy of a pregnant New Zealand journalist in Afghanistan and her conflict with the government and the MIQ system. Firstly, this narrative relies on the assumption that ‘there isn’t anyone in Afghanistan who can write in English and tell the stories of Afghanistan to the world’. It also relies on the assumption that a foreigner, with no lived experience of our reality, can tell Afghanistan’s story. Secondly, to the extent that it creates an expectation of unconditional gratitude on the part of its ‘beneficiaries’, this narrative denies the value of immigrants in society. The author argues she personally contributes to building social cohesion in New Zealand’s multicultural environment. More generally, New Zealand’s economy and workforce rely on immigrants, as has become increasingly apparent in the face of COVID-19 restrictions. The media’s liberation narrative fails to do justice to the value and importance of this contribution. The author argues the antidote is a narrative characterised by diversity and solidarity, that builds up and builds on the voices, experiences and wisdom of Māori and Indigenous, minorities and immigrants.