Struggling to survive: A Kabul taxi driver’s tale of life under the Taliban

By Kazim Ehsan

In the dim glow of the webcam, I first glimpsed Nassir; his forehead swathed in bandages, face a canvas of bruises and pallor. The ghost of a smile played on his lips as he struggled to maintain the buoyant spirit I had come to associate with my long-time friend. In a state of shock and concern, I inquired about his well-being and the circumstances that led to his disheveled appearance. With a chuckle that belied his condition, Nassir quipped, “Fear not, it’s merely a token of the Taliban’s famed Islamic clemency and munificence.”