IWAC –Report from Exile Manouchehr Faradis
In the scorching heat of 2021’s summer, whispers are heard about the fall of Kabul, the bustling capital of the newly established Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to the Taliban militants. As the conflict rages on in Afghanistan, cities big and small are succumbing to the relentless advance of enemy forces, leaving the government’s unstable and undermanned troops with little choice but to retreat. Amidst this dire state of affairs, the imminent abandonment of the strategic stronghold of Bagram is now apparent. The same American forces who had uprooted the Taliban from Kabul and beyond two decades prior, now appear to be fleeing in disarray and abandoning Afghanistan to the ruthless clutches of the Islamic Emirate’s barbaric leaders. In such bitter circumstances, any semblance of stability, optimism, and tranquility vanishes from the face of the nation, prompting a mass exodus. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and his entourage hastily flee Kabul, leaving behind an open path for the triumphant and exultant militant forces of the Islamic Emirate to enter the city. Amidst this turmoil, the dreams and ambitions of two generations of Afghan youth and women are being shattered, and countless individuals, with their eyes bloodshot and their hearts heavy, mourn the half-dead body of their beloved homeland.
One of these young people is Manouchehr Faradis, the manager of Kabul’s esteemed publishing house “Zaryab,” a young writer and cultural activist in Afghanistan. After Taliban’s defeat in 2001 and the establishment of a new republic, he tirelessly worked to cultivate the fields of literature, book publishing, and cultural journalism. With unwavering dedication, he nurtured the budding cultural scene of a nation that had only recently been liberated from the grip of the region’s most ruthless terrorist organization. Faradis belongs to a generation that witnessed the horrors of the civil war, the ruin of their country, and the prior tyranny of Taliban. Having helped with freeing his nation from the clutches of the violent extremists of the Islamic Emirate, he devoted himself to nurturing the minds of the youth and spreading culture and literature. Through his work as a publisher, by disseminating literature and culture, he sought to illuminate not just Afghanistan, but all Persian-speaking communities in the region. Faradis’ love for Persian language, culture, and literature is unyielding, in his own interpretation: he has devoted his entire life to it. For him, there is no greater purpose or vocation than to create and publish literature. Thus, in 2013, he established “Zaryab,” an embodiment of his lifelong passion for literary arts. With great reverence and admiration for the esteemed Afghan writer and poet, Rahnvard Zaryab, Manouchehr Faradis chose to name his publishing house after him. As a proud student of the legendary Afghan writer, Faradis made it his mission to publish some of Zaryab’s literary works through his publishing house.
Born in the city of Kabul in 1987, Manouchehr Faradis hails from the Andrab and Panjshir region. As he has mentioned on one occasion, the brave people of his father’s province remain steadfast in their resistance against Taliban and have yet to submit to the tyrannical rule of the Islamic Emirate. Faradis has obtained a master’s degree in the field of Political Science, but he has searched for his profession and interest in literature. Four books, three novels and a travelogue have been published by him, each of which has reached the third and fourth reprint. “Zaryab” publishing house is the result of more than 15 years of his literary and cultural work. During his 11-year career as a publisher, Faradis managed to circulate over 70 book titles and 100,000 copies, solidifying “Zaryab” as one of the most reputable Persian language publishing houses in the world. He published a wide range of works including “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez, and many contemporary Iranian and Afghan writers’ works, free from censorship and distortion. Faradis has spent 15 years of his literary career fighting against “removal,” “censorship,” “intellectual tyranny,” and the suppression of social space. Due to his unwavering dedication, many Persian writers have entrusted Zaryab publishing house in Kabul with their works.
Faradis and his family were forced to leave their homeland of Rumi and Nasser Khosrow due to the tragic rule of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate over Afghanistan. They sought refuge in Iran. With his visa in Iran limited and time running out, Faradis strives to extend his stay by any means necessary, but ultimately finds himself with no choice but to leave. Following the rise of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate, numerous books published by Zaryab, including those authored by Faradis, were set ablaze—an act that evokes the book burnings of the 1930s under the Nazi regime. Faradis, now without a homeland, yearns to settle in a safe country where he can resume his cultural pursuits. The Islamic Emirate’s grip on Afghanistan has rendered his return impossible, leaving him with no choice but to seek refuge elsewhere. For nearly two years now, “Zaryab” publishing house has ceased operating, and Manouchehr Faradis is searching for a safe place for residence. The possibility of him being deported to Afghanistan after his visa expires is imminent, an event which means severe punishments by the absolutist religionists of Taliban. He writes: I am now without any fate in Iran and after my visa expires, I am uncertain of what awaits me. Under the reign of the Taliban, any individual who advocates for tolerance, democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and thought is existentially endangered. The Taliban considers all those who work towards these values as infidels and deserving of death. The destiny of “Zaryab” publishing house and Manouchehr Faradis are now intertwined, and the downfall of one would result in the downfall of the other. Faradis aims to keep the Persian culture and literature alive through writing and publishing. In today’s tumultuous world, it’s crucial for writers and artists to unite against censorship and oppression and take practical and effective actions to support Faradis and his family.
