Nazer Ayoubi:

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, the first casualty wasn’t a person. It was the truth.

For Nazer Ayoubi, a journalist from Herat committed to exposing human rights abuses and protecting freedom of speech, that truth was sacred. But in the new Afghanistan, truth had no place. Journalists were arrested without charge, held without explanation, and left to die in prison. Human rights offices were shut down. Media outlets were ordered to follow Taliban directives—or be silenced. For those who had reported openly and honestly, it wasn’t just freedom at stake—it was survival.

Nazer knew staying meant certain arrest. Possibly death. His reporting, his values, and his commitment to freedom had made him a target. He reached out to foreign journalists he had worked with in the past. They contacted IsraAid, an international non-governmental humanitarian aid organization based in Israel, which quickly arranged emergency visas for Nazer, his wife Wahida, and their eight-year-old son. The family fled first to Pakistan, then to a refugee camp in Albania, where they remained for 18 months. In December 2023, he received the news that Canada would accept them. They arrived carrying little more than hope and a commitment to finding a way to keep telling the truth about what was happening in Afghanistan and the danger still facing their people.

Adjusting to life in Canada has not been easy. Nazer was born during war, raised in war, and fled from war. Now, he must learn the rhythms of peace—systems built on rules, rights, and accountability. Even the most routine aspects of daily life feel unfamiliar. Traffic lights, for example, are more than signals—they represent order, something he never experienced. The very notion of laws in Afghanistan was rare, and even if there were rules to obey, enforcement during wartime was a distant concern.

But in Canada, there is something new: safety. His son, now 11, walks to school alone, plays with friends, and returns home without fear. It is the kind of freedom Nazer never dared imagine for his child. Wahida, once confined to the home by decree and threat, now shops on her own, attends English classes, and is preparing to welcome their second child. She plans to learn to drive and build a career, rights that the Taliban denied.

Nazer now works in a real estate office, gaining Canadian experience and supporting his family. But his heart remains in journalism. He dreams of pursuing a master’s or PhD in the field for which he risked his life.

Every day, he follows the news in Afghanistan. The stories his former colleagues can no longer share, he posts on Facebook and Instagram. From a new land, he writes for his people to carry the truth forward and to give voice to what others cannot.