By Hakima Mahboobi
The internet blackout in Afghanistan was not merely a technical disruption or the shutdown of a few towers; it was a bitter experience of extinguished hopes, forced isolation, and deprivation of the most basic human rights.
During those days, our connection to the outside world was completely severed. No messages reached us, no voices were heard, and no news was accessible. Online classes were suspended, and access to information became impossible. Afghanistan seemed to have reverted to dark centuries when people were denied the right to knowledge, freedom of expression, and communication.
As a student attending online classes daily with hope for a bright future, I suddenly lost everything. My laptop screen went blank, messages stopped coming through, and the voices of my teachers and classmates fell silent. This disruption was not just a technical issue—it was the severing of the threads of hope.
The internet blackout halted my education and cast my social life into silence. I could not speak to friends, seek comfort, or even send a simple message to my sister, who was alone and vulnerable in Iran. The isolation and uncertainty felt like an insurmountable wall separating me from my loved ones.
Daily life itself suffered under the weight of this shutdown. My father left early each morning to secure a living for the family, yet we had no news of him until late at night. We could neither call nor follow up. Every moment of waiting felt like a heavy burden. Fear, anxiety, and insecurity accompanied us at every turn.
This internet cut was not merely a technological deprivation; it was the denial of the right to education, the right to information, and the right to communicate with family and friends, while exacerbating psychological and social insecurity.
The internet blackout in Afghanistan is a stark reminder that access to communication is not a luxury—it is a fundamental human right. Denying this right can plunge thousands of lives into darkness and silence.
