Mahbooba Siraj is a blunt, outspoken Afghan women's rights advocate.
In a viral television interview on Aug. 9, just six days before the Taliban took Kabul, Siraj unleashed a stern takedown of the international community for abandoning Afghanistan.
"To those world leaders, I'm going to say, shame on you," Siraj told an interviewer with the Turkish TRT World news channel. "I'm going to say to the whole world — shame on you for what you did for Afghanistan. Why did you have to do what you did?'"
"Are you just using all of us?" she continued. "Are we just a pawn in your hands? Is that what it is? I don't understand it. The fact that we don't have any hopes from you, I don't really want to talk to you anymore."
More than 10 days after the Taliban takeover, Siraj, a founder of the Afghan Women's Network, remains in Kabul. And today, she is as critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan as she is worried about women’s rights under the Taliban.
The following Q&A has been condensed and edited for clarity:
VOA: How do you assess the current situation?
Siraj: The current situation is very bad. The main reason is the power vacuum. We have no one to govern the country. This power vacuum has allowed criminals to thrive.
In addition, we don't know what tomorrow brings. Are they going to kill us all? Are they going to put us in prison? Are they going to dishonor us?
Or (alternatively) none of these things happen, and everything turns out well, and we'll have the opportunity to rebuild the country.
VOA: As a woman who has been in contact with other activists, how do you feel about the current situation?
Siraj: We haven't really been in public, yet. Although we hear from the Taliban that we should resume our normal lives and go back to work, frankly, most women don't have the courage.
A number of women have gone back to work. I'm one of them. But I used to work from home, and currently I work from home.
But women don't have any faith that they'll be able to go back to work. As a result, women generally don't go out, don't show ourselves in public, don't go shopping, don't walk on the streets.
VOA: What do you want from the Taliban?
Siraj: I want to tell the Taliban, ‘Brothers, if we Afghans don't feel secure under your rule, you won't be able to govern, whether through an emirate, a republic or a monarchy. When you have a population of 35 million unhappy citizens who don't like you, you won't be able to govern.’
VOA: The Taliban say they want an inclusive government. How likely is that?
Siraj: I hope (it is likely) because both (former presidents Hamid) Karzai and Ashraf Ghani failed to create an inclusive government. This (failure) was one of the greatest weaknesses of these two presidents. They brought jihadis into their governments, especially under Ashraf Ghani. Not a single Afghan felt a part of government.
VOA: What is your message to the international community, especially the United States?
Siraj: I'm absolutely not happy with the United States. … The United States completely and unfortunately abandoned us. They may have their own reasons, but they're unacceptable to me. Those reasons are not acceptable to anyone.
I read today that Biden's approval rating has fallen. He shouldn't think that the American people would not notice when their government makes a mistake. They are aware. They know it was a big mistake. Not because they withdrew their forces, but the manner in which the withdrawal was executed. The whole process was wrongheaded.
Therefore, I call on the American people not to forget us. Please remember us. I have nothing to say to the American government. If they want to return to Afghanistan, be my guest. If they don't want to return, it will turn into a major terrorism center in the world.
