“Do Not Recognize the Taliban”: Afghan Diaspora Across Europe Marks Four Years of Darkness

Four years ago, on 15 August 2021, Kabul fell to the Taliban. For many Afghans, that day marked the beginning of what they now call “four years of darkness”—years defined by repression, forced displacement, and the erasure of women from public life.

This August, the Afghan diaspora across Europe turned their grief into resistance. From Vienna to Amsterdam, Paris, Bonn, and Berlin, demonstrators filled city squares with placards, songs, and speeches. Their message to the world was united: 

“Do not recognize the Taliban. Stand with the people of Afghanistan.”

Vienna: A Day of Defiance

On 14 August, the day before the anniversary, Afghan men and women gathered outside the German Embassy in Vienna. Holding banners that read “Diplomatic relations with the Taliban legitimize terrorism” and “No to extremism,” they raised their voices against any attempt to normalize relations with the regime.

One woman’s words cut through the crowd: “We demand an immediate end to all diplomatic relations with the Taliban—a regime that systematically violates the rights of the Afghan people.”

Another demonstrator added: “Our message to the German government is clear: cut all ties with this illegitimate regime. Recognize the Afghan diaspora as your partner, not the Taliban.”

The crowd was not only angry, but fearful of what normalization could mean. 

“There is no place for terrorism in the European Union,” one young man shouted. Another warned that the Taliban had long been supported by foreign powers seeking influence and profit through Afghanistan’s suffering.

For the Afghan community in Vienna, the demonstration was both personal and political..

Amsterdam: Resistance Through Culture

The next day, 15 August, thousands of miles from Kabul, Afghan women in the Netherlands transformed Amsterdam’s Freedom Square into a stage of resistance. The protest, organized by Afghan diaspora women, carried the slogan: “Don’t Recognize the Taliban.”

The demonstration combined advocacy with art. Afghan musicians filled the square with songs of resilience, while women’s rights activists spoke of courage and defiance. 

A poem about Afghan women’s struggle brought many to tears, while a bilingual message from a young Afghan woman reminded the crowd: “If the world has forgotten you, we won’t forget you.”

In between speeches, chants echoed across the square: “No to Taliban! No to gender apartheid!” Participants praised Afghan women as heroes, while warning that ignoring the Taliban would allow extremism to spread like a virus beyond Afghanistan’s borders.

At the close, a resolution was read aloud, demanding international accountability and solidarity. The crowd responded with cheers and raised fists.

Paris: Warning of Dangerous Legitimization

Also on 15 August, Afghan diaspora groups in France staged a protest in Paris, calling on the French government, the EU, and the UN to halt what they described as the “dangerous process of legitimizing the Taliban.”

The demonstrators urged recognition of the Taliban’s misogynistic policies as gender apartheid and demanded prosecutions for crimes against humanity. 

“Do not negotiate with war criminals,” one woman declared. “Stand with Afghan women, support their right to education and work.”

Bonn: “Four Years of Darkness”

In Bonn, a female speaker addressed the crowd with stark words: “Four years of oppression. Four years of unimaginable suffering for girls, women, and minorities.”

She described Afghanistan as a prison for half its population, where speaking out risks torture or worse. Yet she also highlighted resilience: 

“Despite everything, Afghan women have not been defeated. They resist with their voices, their writing, their courage.”

Her warning was sharp: handing Afghanistan’s embassies to Taliban representatives would not be diplomacy but “betrayal.”

Berlin: A Day of Resistance

In Berlin, protesters gathered outside Afghanistan’s embassy, designating 15 August as the Day of Resistance of the Afghan People. Placards read: “No to Gender Apartheid,” “No to Child Marriage,” and “Taliban Rule = End of Freedom.”

A Shared Message

Though spread across different cities, the diaspora’s message was clear: the Taliban cannot be normalized, and the international community must stand with the Afghan people, not their oppressors.

As one protester in Vienna put it: “This is not just a women’s issue. This is a human rights crisis that demands global attention.”

Four years on from the fall of Kabul, the Afghan diaspora’s voice rings louder than ever: 

“Do not forget the women of Afghanistan. Do not recognize the Taliban.”