Afghan woman, 27, reveals how she was forced to flee the Taliban in Kabul and escape to the US – but her ONE-YEAR-OLD son had to be left behind

An Afghan woman has revealed how she was forced to leave her one-year-old son in Kabul after fleeing the Taliban and seeking asylum in the US.

Benafsha Qasemi, 27, who now lives in Austin, Texas, made the courageous decision to tell her heartbreaking story as part of a YouTube series on the Real Women Real Stories channel.

Fighting back tears, she explains how she was separated from her son at the airport gate, just as he was with his grandmother when Taliban fighters entered Kabul on August 15, 2021.

While she desperately begged the Afghan and US security forces to be reunited with the young child, her request was denied amid the chaos.

Four months after her arrival in the US, Benafsha said the traumatic event had affected her so much “both psychologically and physically” that she did not want to leave home or socialize.

“I prefer to stay home alone and always see his photos and videos,” she said, adding that she often found herself crying in a dark room.

Fortunately, Benafsha managed to make it to the US with some of her relatives.

At the time the video was shot, she said she lived in Austin with her husband and two sisters-in-law, while her cousins ​​were relocated to Virginia.

The heartbroken mother said it was impossible for her to return to Afghanistan because she had no documents when she fled and she was not sure if her son could come to America.

Adding to her fear, she said she had discovered that her son had “got sick and was always crying,” but there was nothing she could do.

Despite her anger, Benafsha said she was trying to stay strong because she had another child who needed her support.

She explains, “I sometimes think I can’t properly care for my new child because of the anxiety I have.

“But I will do my best, because as a mother I have no right to take something away from my child just because my other child has left me.”

At the time of the coup, thousands of Afghans stormed into Kabul’s main airport, some so desperate to escape that they clung to a military plane as it took off and plunged to their deaths.

Because of the pain the Taliban have inflicted on civilians across her country, Benafsha said she would never forgive the Islamic fundamentalist group and “I ask God never to forgive them.”

The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, 20 years after being ousted by US forces.

Since taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have cracked down on women’s rights and neglected basic services.

Before the Taliban came on the scene, Benafsha said Afghanistan was a completely different country and she felt free to pursue her career aspirations.

She recalls, “Before the Taliban came, I felt really proud as a woman, as an Afghan, in Kabul.

“When I was young, I went to school. After school I went to university and studied sociology and philosophy.’

After completing her studies, Benafsha worked as a monitoring and evaluation officer in an organization supported by the US government before doing an MBA in an attempt to become a university lecturer.

Now that the former government is in power, Benafsha says that as a working and studying woman she has never had any problems.

But when the Taliban arrived, everything changed overnight.

Recounting the sequence of events when the takeover took place, she said, “On the very day the Taliban came, I was at my cousin’s wedding.

‘My sister called me and said the Taliban had come. She said they were almost to Kabul and I should go back home.

“I remember very well how concerned the Afghans were.

“All the women and children who had left work and school were running everywhere.

“They were very worried and even crying. (Fortunately) I managed to get home.’

Benafsha said she felt even more vulnerable because she had worked for a company affiliated with the US government, and the Taliban could punish her for doing so.

For that reason, she decided it was best to try to flee the country.

After the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021, the US evacuated more than 77,000 Afghans.

Benafsha said that when she realized she was separated from her son, she tried to stay behind and risk being killed, but the security officers wouldn’t let her leave the airport grounds once she got there.

In the interview video she concludes: ‘I had to leave my one-year-old child behind because of the Taliban regime.

‘Just because I was a woman and used to work. I had studied, I had no other sins.

“Only because of this I had to leave my one-year-old child behind.”

So far, Benafsha’s story has been viewed more than 2,000 times, with many viewers expressing sympathy and applauding her strength.

One commenter wrote: “No mother should have to do what you were forced to do. I am so sorry that no one listened to your pleas. I pray that you and your family will be reunited soon.”

Another viewer added, “You have a lot of courage and love sharing your story on YouTube. I will pray that you and your son will be reunited one day.”