If I Could Be Reborn: The Dream of Flight and Freedom

Written by Nigina Istanakzai-Zarifi, Country Coordinator for Afghanistan

As an Afghan woman, I often find myself lost in dreams, not just of a better life, but of a different existence entirely. In the quiet moments, when the world outside feels heavy with rules and expectations, I imagine what it would be like if I could be reborn. If I could choose, I would not return as a person, but as a bird. Not just any bird, but one that soars high above our rugged mountains, free from the chains that hold so many of us down.

A bird knows no borders. It glides effortlessly through the sky, unburdened by the weight of tradition, untouched by the harsh rules of patriarchy. Its wings belong only to itself, and the sky is limitless. I envy that freedom with every part of my soul. To fly above the world, to see it all from a distance, to escape the suffocating grip of expectations and restrictions-what could be more beautiful, more pure, more true?

People outside Afghanistan often believe that the absence of bombs means peace. They look at us and say, “You are safe now.” But what is safety without freedom? What is peace if half the population lives in fear, their voices silenced, their dreams crushed before they can even take shape? For Afghan women and girls, the struggle is not just against violence, but against a system that refuses to see us as equals. We are told how to dress, how to speak, how to live. We are denied education, denied work, denied even the simple right to walk the streets without fear. Every day, we are reminded that our wings have been clipped.

And when we dare to ask for our rights, when we raise our voices for dignity and equality, we are labelled as those who want to bring immoral values, as if freedom is a foreign disease. We are tagged as less of a Muslim, as if our faith is measured by our silence and our suffering. But our dreams are not immoral. Our hope is not a threat. Wanting to learn, to work, to live without fear-these are not crimes. They are the birthright of every human being.

Peace is not just the absence of war. True peace is liberty, dignity, and the right to choose your own path. It is being able to dream, to hope, and to live without fear. Until Afghan women enjoy these basic rights, we cannot say we are at peace. What we have now is a fragile illusion, a hollow promise that does not include us.

If I could be reborn, I would choose to be a bird-free, peaceful, and fearless. I would fly high above the valleys and mountains of my homeland, looking down with love but never feeling the weight of its restrictions. I would sing songs of hope, not just for myself, but for every Afghan girl who dreams of a life beyond these walls.

To those who think we are free, I say: Look closer. Listen to our stories. Understand that peace without freedom is just another form of captivity. Until every Afghan woman and girl can spread her wings and fly, our country will never truly know peace.

Let us dream. Let us hope. And one day, let us be free-like the birds in the sky.