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RESIST. SURVIVE.

This advice is also available in Dari.

Advice from others who survived deadly regimes. For friends in Afghanistan. Compiled from many sources. Please, someone, translate this into Pashto. Or any language where you think people need this If you cannot put that translation on your web site, I will do it for you.

In the mid-1600s, Poland was attacked from the north in what became known as the Deluge; an estimated third of the Polish population died, and most of its cities and wealth were destroyed before the Swedish invaders were beat back. Poland was an occupied territory for over a hundred years and was reconquered right after regaining independence. Over six million Poles died during World War II, one-fifth of the pre-war population, and its people suffered horribly through almost 50 years of Soviet repression.

Yet, through all this time, people fell in love, married, and raised kids; they fought with their siblings, experienced their first kisses, and learned how to cook. Life went on, because it had to, and everyday resilience was its own form of resistance. As long as people can dream of a better life for their children and grandchildren, there is a chance for the future."

-- From How to survive an authoritarian government.

Others have survived deadly, murderous, oppressive regimes. Not everyone. Millions have died. But there are lessons from those experiences for those that want to try to survive in Afghanistan and elsewhere:

Build a wall of protection around your mind and your heart that the regime can never touch. Within your heart, unfurl the feelings you cherish. Within your head, let loose the beliefs you hold dear. The mind is a beautiful and eternal place, and no one can ever reach it if you don’t let them. The state cannot know all of your thoughts, and that is a huge and delightful thing - don't stop thinking and feeling freedom and joy. Keep the spirit of resistance alive in your heart.

Culture can be an escape from reality and daily misery. Don't stop doing anything you love, as long as you can do it in secret and safely. You may not be able to do it often, but still do it. Weddings, celebrations, prayers, music, dance, writing, reading, studies - hold on to all the remnants of normal life that you can, that can give you a feeling of power over your own destiny. Feed your soul. Never ever take photos or film yourself doing these things, but don't stop doing whatever you can, privately, to feed your soul. Don't stop being human.

Do all you can to stay as healthy as possible and as alert as possible. Eat when you have food. Sleep whenever you can. People make poor, even deadly decisions when they are hungry or when they are sleep deprived. Do all you can to maintain, even build, physical and mental strength.

If the government allows only certain books to be read, then look for rebellion and resistance in those government approved books, and emphasize those passages to each other and to yourself. When people of African descent were enslaved in the USA, their oppressors, the slave "owners", forced those enslaved people to read the Bible and sing Christian songs. Because of this, those enslaved people learned to use the words of Jesus and Moses to teach rebellion and freedom to each other. There is a song called "Go Down, Moses." The lyrics of the song represent liberation of the ancient Jewish people from Egyptian slavery, a story recounted in the Old Testament. For enslaved African Americans, the story was very powerful because they could relate to the experiences of Moses and the Israelites who were enslaved by the pharaoh, who they saw as representing the slave holders. For them, the song held the hopeful message that God will help those who are persecuted and because it was a Christian song, it was awkward for their enslavers to tell them not to sing it. Here are some of the lyrics:

Remember:

“There is no compulsion where the religion is concerned.” (Holy Quran: 2/ 256).

“You cannot guide those you would like to but God guides those He wills. He has best knowledge of the guided.” (Holy Quran 28/ 56).

Not even the Prophet Muhammad could impose or force people to profess Islam. When people were unreceptive to the message of Islam, the Qur'an explicitly reminded him that he was never to resort to coercion: "Your task is only to exhort; you cannot compel them [to believe]" (Holy Quran 88/ 21).

Fight against tyranny every way you can. Do not wait for tyrants to leave. Because they don’t. Do not wait for others to save you - you must actively participate in your own liberation. Authoritarian leaders fear mass uprisings and revolts that weaken the state’s economy. Strikes where people refuse to work, or everyone claims to be sick for a day, have crippled governments for a day, or days. Imagine a protest where all women go outside, into the street, and sit, and pray, and don't move for hours. No chanting, no shouts, no slogans, Just praying, or sitting quietly. It would disable the country, even for just several hours. No traffic could move. The Taliban wouldn't know what to do. They cannot beat EVERY woman. There are more women than the Taliban. The Taliban would have to just let it happen and be glad when it ended for the day, and then try to prevent it in the future. Whatever the mass action that happens, the immediate, violent or Draconian reaction to it by the oppressors cannot be maintained for long, and while the immediate reaction will hurt people in the short-term, the longer-term effects are the death knell of the government and signal its loss of legitimacy.

Authoritarian regimes also hate when people outside their country find out what's really happening - therefore, use any means you can to make sure that happens. Learn to share information safely online with people outside of your country - there are ways to do that that can circumvent government blocks on information pipelines and protect your identity. Be aware of how to conceal your online activity if the authorities come knocking. If you have verified information of something happening, share it with friends outside your country so they can get the word out. Don't share rumors, but share things you have seen with your own eyes, or heard with your own ears. Translate official government announcements into English or interviews on TV with members of the dictatorship and send them to your friends outside the country so they can get them out to others safely.

Have words or phrases to use with only your most trusted friends and family so that you can verify each other's identity online, or warn them that someone is listening, or warn them that someone is trying to harm them. "Mother told the story last night about when you were 8" could be the phrase you use to tell someone they need to hide their electronics because the police are on their way to search their room. "I thought I smelled saffron earlier" could mean that you believe someone in the room is not trustworthy. Scratching your eyebrow, then immediately scratching another, could also be some kind of warning.

Be cautious regarding who you trust. Don't assume your neighbors, co-workers or classmates are also working against the regime. Some may support the regime. Some may feel pressured to cooperate with the regime on an occasion in order to save their own families.

Always assume at first that “everyone is lying to you, even your political allies”. Check, double-check & authenticate everything before you react or share it. The regime thrives on your fear & irrational thoughts. And people often share and react to information before finding out it's not true.

But with that said, do not let them divide you from everyone else. Do not let them talk about "true Muslims" or "true patriots." Don't let them make you start doubting people who are not the same tribe as you, or people who don't practice the religion in exactly the same way as you, or foreign people. Refuse to listen when they label people as traitors, enemies of the state, unpatriotic, the corrupt elite, the old regime. Avoid gossip with people outside of your closest, most important circle, avoid any discussion anything that sounds like complaining about how something is run, or how someone is not really "Islamic." Have “low key”, benign conversations with everyone outside of your home - a taxi driver, a hair stylist - about the weather, about the weather, about the color of the sky, about the food you ate most recently - you are keeping the channels of communication open, you are keeping community, but keeping yourself safe. Seemingly harmless comments or conversations can be used against you and those you hear can sew dissent in your heart. Remind yourself that your country is big and diverse and has room for different ideas and that this is its strength. Don’t let the regime divide you from others — remember you’re ONE people, one nation, and you are in this together.

The oppressors will create use the media and their messaging to maintain a constant sense of conflict and danger that they say is why you must trust them and allow them to control everything. They will disguise these actions as being for your protection, for the good of the people. The government will use the media to glorify itself and its actions, accuse foreign powers of conspiring to cause food shortages, and blame protests and looting on foreigners and criminals. You may know it's not true, but remember that these false stories may be believed in rural areas among lower-educated citizens who believe that if something was on TV or in the newspaper or on the radio or on WhatsApp, it must be accurate. The ability to distinguish true from false media is an acquired skill that requires an educated populace. Help educate others so that more and more people feel confident to distrust purported “authority figures.”

Never debate any member of the regime, even if they invite it, even if they imply it is safe to do so. Smile passively, let them rant. Listen to what they say, look compliant and have no expression on your face other than polite listening, but you say as little as possible. Give them no reason to think that you are resisting, even though your heart and mind is full of resistance and strength.

Forgive your shortcomings and failings. You are not perfect. You will make mistakes. You are living in extraordinary, horrific times. You are not super-human. Do not punish yourself if you make a mistake. Learn from it and move on.

Stay strong, and know there are always people like you, everywhere, and many are trying to help you, even if you don't know it.

Also see:

How to survive an authoritarian government.

Resources to help Afghans in Afghanistan Keep Their Devices Safe.

Resources for Afghans Teaching Girls at Home. (additional suggestions welcomed)