About the Afghans
The mountainous country of Afghanistan has a long history as a crossroads between many powerful empires. From the Medians to the Persians to the Greeks and more, Afghanistan has been at a crossroads of cultural exchange, turmoil and expansion, making its place in world history quite important.
In the 9th century, Islam took prominent root in the country, where it comprises as much as 99.7% of the population to this day.
Afghanistan has unfortunately had a tumultuous history of conflict. In recent history, this has been best seen in the rise of the Taliban and their takeover of the country in 2021. With that seizure of power came a nationalist and theocratic regime - difficult for those who did not acquiesce and for women in particular. To this day, this regime is not recognised by the international community.
Tensions in Afghanistan have caused many Afghans to flee their country to seek refuge elsewhere. One such place is the Netherlands and our city of Rotterdam in particular. Many of these people are, tragically, separated from their homeland due to the rise of the Taliban's brutal religious fundamentalism.