“I was sitting in class, leaning back in my chair, unable to think of anything except the disaster that might be awaiting us,” Mohtasebzada, a Flagler student, said about the day. “Suddenly, our professor opened the classroom door and shouted, ‘The Taliban are here; they have reached Kabul.’ His shout shattered a deadly silence and filled everyone with fear. On the way back home, tears streamed down my face without pause; I just kept running, hoping my family was safe.”
This happened shortly after her 18th birthday and her world became completely altered as the Taliban setoff explosions on Aug. 15, 2021, to signal that they captured Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. Three days prior her native city of Herat, one of the first cities to fall, was captured.
When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, Mohtasebzada and her family were forced to leave the country to seek safety, residing in Pakistan temporarily and eventually making it all the way to St. Augustine where she began as a freshman in the Fall of 2024.
Mohtasebzada said she was always drawn to Flagler, which has allowed her to live out her writing dreams and creativity. She is double majoring in Cinematic Arts and Digital Media Production and Journalism. She also has the distinction of being the first Afghan author to publish a fantasy novel, “Henry Smith and the Nightmare Monster.”
“Since I was in Afghanistan, I dreamed of studying at this college,” Mohtasebzada said. “I had researched its history and learned that its beauty was like the worlds I imagined, which made me eager to explore this environment. From the moment I saw Flagler, an idea sparked within me."
Mohtasebzada shared that in Afghanistan it was normal for people to live in fear, but it was hard for her and her family to grasp that the country had to go through another Taliban takeover.
“We couldn't believe that something which had happened once in the past was happening again,” she said. “We didn’t know what awaited us. Early in the morning, I left home with a sense of dread and said goodbye to my family, feeling as if it might be the last time I’d see them. This feeling had somehow become a habit for all of us, expecting something disastrous to happen at any moment.”
As the days went by filled with what she called the “days of hopelessness,” she was able to find strength through the art of writing and the stories and characters she created. Writing has always been Mohtasebzada’s outlet.
“Don’t forget that light remains; if you believe in it, it will find a way to infiltrate your days’... I wrote these sentences to heal my wounds, to find peace.
“After the Taliban’s arrival, we had to return to Herat for safety,” Mohtasebzada said. “All doors were closed to us, especially to women … Writing helped me free my mind; my pen was my magic, a place where the darkest nights could become bright … As I wrote in my book: ‘Don’t forget that light remains; if you believe in it, it will find a way to infiltrate your days.’ I wrote these sentences to heal my wounds, to find peace.”
Leaving her country wasn’t easy, but she said there was no choice if she wanted to protect her safety.
“Leaving Afghanistan felt like losing a mother in whose embrace I had spent my entire life,” Mohtasebzada said. “Until you’re forced to put all your attachments, memories and loved ones into a small suitcase and leave, you can’t truly understand the feeling of leaving your homeland. … I felt that half of my being had remained there.”
Mohtasebzada was born July 25, 2003 in Herat, Afghanistan, located on the west side of country and parallel to the capital, Kabul. She began picking up a pen and writing stories at the young age of eight. She has written a fantasy novel, short stories and even children’s television programs.
Mohtasebzada immigrated to the United States in hopes to inspire women and future generations through her writing. This resulted in the publication of her book titled “Henry Smith and the Nightmare Monster,” which is thought to be Afghanistan’s first fantasy novel.
“We waited a long time in Pakistan for the opportunity to enter the U.S., waiting for the chance at a peaceful, normal life — something every human being deserves,” Mohtasebzada said.
“When we finally arrived in the U.S., the first thing I felt was calm — a calm that I had lost through years of war, violence and fear. At last, we could, even for a moment, think about a new life and try to rebuild ourselves from all that pain.”
Mohtasebzada hopes for a brighter future for her home country although the memories she has of the takeover will always haunt her. She said that what she remembers most are the sleepless nights, intense anxiety and the fear she felt.
“I hope that one day I’ll see Afghanistan free and peaceful, its streets and alleys filled with laughter and music, with free women and men,” Mohtasebzada said. “I hope that the women of my country will achieve their human rights, that students can study freely without regard to gender, and that no innocent blood will be shed. My only wish is for Afghanistan to be like any other ordinary land, immersed in peace.”
While she has been able to find a home here in the U.S., Mohtasebzada one day hopes to return to the country she loves.
