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Angelina Jolie joins Instagram to share a message from a young Afghan girl

Angelina Jolie joins Instagram to share a message from a young Afghan girl

I will not turn away from the people of Afghanistan, she vowed, urging people to join her in looking for ways to help.
Updated 21 Aug, 2021

American movie star and rights activist Angelina Jolie just joined Instagram to share stories of Afghan people and others fighting for their rights. Her first post was a message from a young Afghan girl talking about the Taliban takeover of the country.

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan on August 16 after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

"This is a letter I was sent from a teenage girl in Afghanistan. Right now, the people of Afghanistan are losing their ability to communicate on social media and to express themselves freely. So I’ve come on Instagram to share their stories and the voices of those across the globe who are fighting for their basic human rights," Jolie wrote.

The letter reads, verbatim:

"Fear from Taliban.

I am [redacted] young girl. I live in [redacted] Afghanistan, before Taliban came in [redacted], we all went to work, school, [redacted] properly. We all had rights, we was able to defend our rights freely, but when they came, we are all afraid of them, and we think all our dreams are gone.

We think our rights have been violated we can not got out. Studying and working is to too far away, but some people say they Talibans change but I do not think so because they have a very bad past. One day they come to our house and we were all scared and after that day I thought about what kind of time I should go to school in the morning in this situation, because of their existence or when I came home from course again, the air was dark but I could come home very easily but now I can not go to the course easily.

I think the course will be closed. May be we can go back to last 20 years, and again we have no rights the life of all of us is dark, we all lost our freedom and we are imprisoned again (sic)."

The actor has been a longtime advocate of human rights and recently wrote an opinion piece in the Times on the hasty American exit from Afghanistan and the impact it will have on the Afghan people, particularly women and children. She is also a special envoy for the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

"I was on the border of Afghanistan two weeks before 9/11, where I met Afghan refugees who had fled the Taliban. This was twenty years ago," she wrote in her Instagram post.

"It is sickening to watch Afghans being displaced yet again out of the fear and uncertainty that has gripped their country. To spend so much time and money, to have blood shed and lives lost only to come to this, is a failure almost impossible to understand," she said.

Watching for decades how Afghan refugees — some of the most capable people in the world — are treated like a burden is also sickening, Jolie said. "Knowing that if they had the tools and respect, how much they would do for themselves. And meeting so many women and girls who not only wanted an education, but fought for it."

Like others who are committed, I will not turn away, she vowed. "I will continue to look for ways to help. And I hope you’ll join me."

Comments

M. Saeed Aug 21, 2021 05:51pm
There are some humans living in the Trumpish America.
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Chrís Dăn Aug 21, 2021 06:05pm
My heart bleeds when kids express such fears about their future.
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Al Aug 21, 2021 06:33pm
Pakistan is responsible for creating and supporting Taleban.
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Fastrack Aug 21, 2021 06:49pm
Please. Did you cry when your country bombed hospitals and little children's madressas? The incidents are countless.
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Zahid Hussain Aug 21, 2021 07:12pm
DAWN: Shame on you for giving space to these people for a cheap publicity stunt. Why don't they support the suffering of the Palestinian and the Kashmiris in the Indian Occupied Kashmir with the same spirit and energy?
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Dr. Ahmed Aug 21, 2021 07:41pm
All these "No ones" suddenly care about Afghan women and children. Where were they when these people were getting droned. Right?
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Salman Ahmed Aug 21, 2021 08:10pm
It is very hard to see and extremely hard to believe whether Taliban Will let their netizens to roam freely or restrictions imposed by them Will further aggravate situation. Thoughly agree with her. As a matter of fact Taliban wont revolutionize their mind nor they will bother.
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Lady whisper Aug 21, 2021 08:41pm
Don't tell me she thinking about adopting somebody else
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Lady whisper Aug 21, 2021 08:42pm
Please don't tell me she's trying to adopt somebody else
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Aslan Aug 21, 2021 08:43pm
@Al what proof do you have? It's easy to be a keyboard warrior and blame Pakistan for everything. This blame story is too old now and doesn't sell , get something new!
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Chrís Dăn Aug 21, 2021 08:44pm
@Fastrack yes. She did She protested
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Tariq Aug 21, 2021 09:25pm
Just visit Afghanistan and seek truth rather on media.
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GreenAura Aug 21, 2021 10:15pm
@Al "Pakistan is responsible for creating and supporting Taleban." Let's be clear. India's inability to accept that Pakistan came into being in 1947 on land that the Hindu nation erroneously deluded itself into assuming "belonged" to Delhi alone is the underlying reason for all the subcontinent's problems. Pakistan exists on land that never belonged to India, ever - now get over it.
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NYS Aug 21, 2021 10:45pm
Welcome to Insta family for some good cause
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M. Saeed Aug 21, 2021 10:46pm
@Al , just google "Abdullah Mehsud" and see who actually created Taliban and where?
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Kaavan Aug 21, 2021 11:49pm
@Dr. Ahmed: Come again, Dr Ahmed?
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Kaavan Aug 21, 2021 11:53pm
@Dr. Ahmed :Is "DR Ahmed" a "someone" with questionable English skills?
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Simi Aug 22, 2021 01:02am
Please focus on these helpless people rather than the same old rhetoric .
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Alih Kazmi Aug 22, 2021 01:32am
Angelina, people really willing to fight for their rights have already won the war, you can go home now.
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Alih Kazmi Aug 22, 2021 01:37am
@Chrís Dăn Does your heart bleed for India's Dalit children? Kashmiris? Assamese?
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Alih Kazmi Aug 22, 2021 01:40am
@Al India and US created the Fake Taliban or TTP that also doubles as ISIS in Afghanistan.
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Taliban American Creation Aug 22, 2021 01:52am
Any letters to tell us to stop wars in poor nations and steal their resources. I see how brave US military is when they attack bigger stronger nations like China, Russia, UK and so on. Taliban were created by US.
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nk Aug 22, 2021 03:24am
@Chrís Dăn Are children in the USA in schools not fearful of Gun violence? Please stop forcing a grim picture for Afghanistan.
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nk Aug 22, 2021 03:26am
@Al Are you a serious person or was not born when USA was helping to form Taliban during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
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Zulfiqar Ali Syed Aug 22, 2021 03:53am
An amazing fear, I wonder, if anyone was afraid when the USA was throwing dizzy cutter on Afghanistan. When the entire country was ripped apart when innocent people were picked up, tortured and put into jail, Guantanamo prison was created specifically for illegal detention. It took years for USA SC to declare that people detained in Bay have rights. We need to engage with the Taliban or with any other government, rights must be protected, and responsibility must be taken. I wonder why no one felt pain when France ban Hajjab and made it a criminal offence to wear one in Public places. Western media and some of our media houses are creating fear among people for their own benefit.
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Syed Ahmed Aug 22, 2021 04:51am
Afghans are getting help from all over the world ....it's the poor kashmiri women who needs the help of high profile people like Angelina Jolie
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Syed Ahmed Aug 22, 2021 04:51am
@Al Pakistan has 5 million Afghan refugees there is no way to know who is Taliban and who is not only someone who has not been to the region would make a foolish statement like that.
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Malik Aug 22, 2021 05:19am
Pakistan better not open their borders for thankless Afghan Refugees no matter what happen. This was due when these thankless afghanis abuse Pakistan Every chance they got to please India. Pakistan helped them out of crisis and fed them and gave them shelter when other country didn’t except Iran and US. With what face these Afghans will ask Pakistan to take them. Pakistan already have 3 million Afghans living in Pakistan.
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Imran Khan Aug 22, 2021 06:04am
Kindly AJ take milions of afghan refugees from Pakistan to US to provide them with tools and respect. Western hypocricy at it's best. They invaded, bombed, killed thousands of innocent civilians, destroyed the country (like Iraq, Syria, Yenen) and have now run away with tail in b/w their legs leaving Pakistan yet again to clean their mess. They are only good in media propaganda (presenting themselves as champion of women and human rights) and blaming Pakiatan for their flawed policies, failure and incompetance. West is not worried about gross women and human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir for decades because it does fit in their agenda. Regarding Afghan, refugess, fact is 'some of them' availed oppurtunities in Pakistan and are hardworking and have settled really well but some of them instead of being thankful pass anti Pakistan statements and are involved in criminal activities. Leave Afghanistan alone, let them deal with their own problems and stop the propaganda.
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Yasir Babar Aug 22, 2021 08:56am
@Fastrack Should she cry when the Taliban bombed their own people in Schools, Universities, hospitals and TV stations? How many innocents were lost by the hands of the Taliban? I personally know someone whose sister's husband was killed by a Taliban attack at a University in Kabul in 2018. Stop defending these barbarians.
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Israr Khan IsmailZai Aug 22, 2021 09:14am
I wonder where all these celebrities were when america and the west were occupying and killing afghans for the last 20 years.
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Sohaib Muneer Aug 22, 2021 09:37am
wow! Americans are real hypocrites. No one talks about those children who never got to write a letter because their villages were carpet bombed by the US ( I'm not even going to start with children in Palestine ). Those children then grew up with AK-47s with only ONE enemy in mind. The US. So as long as anyone has their political views aligned with the West's interests, they are considered humans. The rest are just sheep. Fair game. News flash: The people of Afghanistan LET the Taliban assume control WITHOUT putting up a fight. Now let it sink in for a while. It will tell you who the real enemy was. If you allow your brain to function. USA is the biggest terrorist country in the world.
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Shoaibullah Sheikh Aug 22, 2021 10:15am
Don't blame to Pakistan, for your mistakes. There are 30 lacs Afghan national in Pakistan.
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Mubashir Munir Aug 22, 2021 10:18am
What about killing of millions of muslims by US and Nato troops on fake news and killing of millioms of muslims in Indian Occupied Kashmir.You are hypocrats you are the most unjust people posing as human rights activists
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Mubashir Munir Aug 22, 2021 10:31am
@Israr Khan IsmailZai they were with America .They have nothing to do with humanity they are hypocrats and doing for media to please Americans
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Nadeem Aug 22, 2021 11:03am
These are pre-assumptions. Islamic laws will benefit to the people of Afghanistan in long run
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shaw Aug 22, 2021 12:12pm
Did she get any such letter from the girls of Gaza and Kashmir?
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Imran Aug 22, 2021 12:19pm
I don't support Taliban, but no global celebrity of Angelina Jolie caliber has ever reposted on Instagram a letter from Palestine and Kashmir.
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Toni Aug 22, 2021 12:41pm
Who cares what you say Jollie, go home and look after your kids. Such silly comment knowing all communications will be impossible in that country "Right now, the people of Afghanistan are losing their ability to communicate on social media and to express themselves freely. "
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Propakistani Aug 22, 2021 02:23pm
@Al India is responsible for afghan misery. The Taliban are not behaving in the Brutish way of yore . They should be able to chose their own future without interference.
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Saeed Aug 22, 2021 03:04pm
Soon Taliban will be burden for Pakistan and China. America swiftly hand washed Afghan problem in to their heads to concentrate Indo Pacific and in Taiwan. Stream will heat the pot and boil soon
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Lens Aug 22, 2021 03:13pm
@Al even Americans know that America created Taliban
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Sajjad Aug 22, 2021 09:25pm
Glad to see that world is on the same track on supporting people of Afghanistan. Can we at least have same sympathies with people of Kashmir who are facing a bigger oppressor then Taliban?
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Zahid Aug 22, 2021 09:28pm
Its propaganda, all talks of gathering sympatheis. Facts are different.
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MansoorK Aug 23, 2021 12:27am
When will she shared a letter, any letter from many Palestinian girls who aren't even safe in their own homes? Enough of this selective cry for the humanity.
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Faisal Aug 23, 2021 03:48am
@Fastrack why do you assume she didn't? She's a private citizen, not the US government.
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Faisal Aug 23, 2021 03:50am
@Aslan are you joking ???? Need proof the sky is blue also?? Some things are open secrets
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Faisal Aug 23, 2021 03:52am
@Alih Kazmi the taliban have imposed themselves on the people, who are literally clinging to planes to get out. Foreign occupation or local one -- still an occupation.
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Faisal Aug 23, 2021 03:53am
@Sohaib Muneer no....the ARMY of afghanistan did that. Not the people.
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Faisal Aug 23, 2021 03:54am
@Malik pakistan funded talking. Of course they are "thankless" So US should not interfere in their country, but pakistan should?
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Ali Aug 23, 2021 05:49am
Where was her voice when her troops were killing Afghan people.
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