Why Aren’t We Talking About Afghanistan?

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When the Taliban seized power once again in Afghanistan in May 2021, global media entered a frenzy. The war-torn nation was constantly visible in the press, with outlets such as the BBC and Channel 4 obtaining live footage of both the actions taken by the Taliban government and their subsequent baseless justifications. The coverage was endless, breaking the hearts of thousands of Afghans both at home and overseas as our people campaigned for foreign intervention. We know this. We know all of this happened. We know it is still happening. Yet, we remain blind. The media lost interest, therefore the world remains in the dark. So: why aren’t we talking about Afghanistan?

Coverage of international news is not uncommon to Western media, with many news channels having dedicated, country-specific correspondents to feed information back regarding situations abroad. Afghanistan may be out of the loop, but European countries in crisis such as Ukraine feature frequently in UK media. The coverage of the war in Ukraine is indeed essential, as it allows us to empathise with Ukranians as they deal with the brutality of Russia’s unwelcome invasion. It is vital that we understand what is happening in countries dealing with crises so that the relevant aid can be provided. Thousands have opened their hearts and homes in welcoming refugees from Ukraine in the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme, with Western media as a whole praising the scheme for its kindness and generosity. But again, we are left with the same question. Why aren’t we talking about Afghanistan? The answer is simple, but not easy to swallow. 

Institutional racism and bias plague Western media outlets, regardless of their status as a public or privately owned entity. Refugees from Afghanistan are treated with disdain, frequently told to return to their nation even though it is clearly unsafe. Articles often discuss the U.K.’s lack of capacity to take in Middle Eastern refugees, yet claim they had more than enough space for Ukranians; the sheer contrast in a simple Google search is enough to prove this. The media choose to diminish the scale of problems in Afghanistan, hiding the lack of concern or actions taken for those refugees who have made it to the U.K, abandoning them in hotels with minimal aid to help them adjust to their new lives. People of colour simply do not matter as much to the West as white people; those who deny this fact tend to argue that people such as myself do not care about those struggling in Ukraine. This is not the case. What we advocate for is equal treatment of all refugees, equal access to aid and, most importantly, equal respect. 

Afghanistan is facing a multitude of horrors at the moment; women face ruthless discriminatory laws that ban them from work, education and even simple pleasures like a walk in the park. Minorities such as the Hazara people are being unlawfully murdered, facing torture for their differences. Despite all this, no action is being taken. 

The tendency of the British media to ignore the problems of Afghanistan perhaps stems largely from their involvement in the current crisis. A lack of sufficient structure or funds to ease the transition from an active Western force in the country to one without is entirely to blame for the Taliban’s resurfacing. The failure of the Foreign Secretary to make the necessary calls to rescue Afghan refugees is merely a blight on the government’s reputation, so the media choose to hide it. The lack of action from the UN is abysmal; therefore, the media pretend there is nothing to cover. That is why we are not talking about Afghanistan. It is because entering dialogue regarding the situation would require action to follow it. Nobody is willing to do this.