How My Friend Escaped Afghanistan (to Australia)
- Hey guys, today's video is a bit of a different approach than my normal storytelling. But I hope you'll sit back and listen because it is very important. I think by now everybody in the world knows what's happened to Afghanistan, the Taliban overthrew the government, and they're in control of the country, and it's devastating the lives of 35 million innocent people are in danger. And I've never felt so personally and emotionally affected by anything that's happened in the world because Afghanistan is one of my favorite countries. Ever since I first went in 2018, I fell in love with the lifestyle, the beauty, the people, the food, the ancient wonders, and the culture is just so pure and authentic in the way that people dress, and the way they live their life and there's so hospitable, I can go on and on about my love for Afghanistan, because it's the truth.
I've traveled eight provinces, I've made about 20 videos on YouTube, which I hope you guys have been able to see the good side of the country. And a lot of questions have been coming in about, Noor my tour guide, my good friend, and the person who I've literally spent every second with. I've had to stay silent until now to protect his safety. But I'm proud to tell you that he is now safe with his wife and kids in Australia. We've been texting throughout the process, but we haven't been able to get a phone call in or Zoom. But right now we are going to be doing a video call, which he agreed that I can record it and share it with you guys.
He's gonna be telling you all about the struggles, what happened, what he saw, and how he managed to be one of the very lucky ones to escape at Kabul Airport. But before we dive in, I wanna tell you about two fundraisers if you're interested to donate, the first one was started by my friend Matt, which is helping all Afghan fixers and tour guides and their colleagues. And the other one is started by my friend Ahmed, who is helping women find food, shelter and safety in Afghanistan. So you can find both links to the fundraisers below. And all the proceeds of this video are going to be donated into both fundraisers, I'm gonna split it and I'm gonna donate in both of them.
So just by watching this video, just know that you are contributing. So thank you guys. And now I'm going to call Noor for the very first time.
(upbeat music) Hey man. - How are you sir, everything okay? - I'm so happy to see you man. - Yeah, I'm so happy to see you too Drew, it has been a long time. - Oh, my God. I haven't seen you in what, nine months? - Yeah, it was October 2020.
- We have a lot to talk about. But first off, I'm so happy that you're safe. You got here in Australia? - Yeah, sir. Thank you, I am in Australia right now. I'm talking to you from Melbourne.
- Wow, how does it feel to be in Melbourne right now? - It's good, it looks like a very nice city. The other day I was filming a little bit when I was at the bus. Right now we're in quarantine. It's our fourth day here in the hotel.
- You're with your wife and kids? - Yes, the people are really nice. They really take good care of us here. They're very well organized.
And they're very kind. They give us food all the time and whatever we need, they call and ask if we need medications and stuff like that. - Before we get into life in Australia, let me back up a bit when I saw you last. One thing I love about you is that you're so proud of your country, and you've always been so happy to be a tour guide and you've always loved everything about Afghanistan.
I remember you telling me like looking at my eyes and you said, the moment the US pulls their troops, we're in trouble. But you always told me that you would never leave your country unless you had to leave, and like unless you were forced. And unfortunately, things went really bad. And I've never felt so personally affected with anything in the world than this because my heart is in Afghanistan.
When did you start to realize things are getting really bad? - It was like two months ago. Taliban started their advancements around Afghanistan and they were taking like far away districts and it was like, kind of deal of danger ringing in our ears. And I had some clients coming and still I was working and there were some nice people who wanted to see Afghanistan in the last minutes. And so Taliban took through many far away districts and in one week they took like, seven to eight districts and it was like very bad news for me, and I thought it's crazy.
If in one week they, like every day if they take one district that means like another six months there will be nothing remaining. But I said it's okay no problem, I still believed in our army. I still believed in our chairman and politicians I thought they're going to fight against Afghanistan, and I was very hopeful. And still people were emailing me and asking me if they can visit Afghanistan, I said yeah sure it's okay, no problem still, Mazar was okay, still Herat and Kabul environmentalist nations that you visited world fine. And I thought their big cities of Afghanistan, it's very difficult for them to be falling into the hands of Taliban. So I encourage people to come to Afghanistan.
And yeah, suddenly after like another two weeks, they just reached at the gates of Mazar-i-Sharif. As I knew we were in contact, and you were always worried. But thank you so much for worries and caring and everything. Yeah, they were just the gates of Mazar-i-Sharif and they were almost inside the town and people really fought against them. And I'm not sure what happened in the government.
Somehow I feel that the president of Afghanistan and the chairman of Afghanistan made a deal probably with Taliban, which was all the promises they made I think they were just a lie, I think they were fake. They just gifted Afghanistan to Taliban. And right after they were at the gate of Mazar-i-Sharif, they only stayed there for two weeks, because the whole people from all around Mazar-i-Sharif, the normal people, the old fighters who were fighting against Taliban, the veterans, they all went to the gates of Mazar-i-Sharif hold guns and they wanted to fight against Taliban. - Were you in Mazar-i-Sharif during this time? - Yeah, I was in Mazar-i-Sharif. I was again, hopeful. And I said okay, so probably everyone will fight against Taliban.
And the Taliban I think found out that they cannot take over Mazar-i-Sharif. So they started their attack on other provinces. So Herat was the next province that became very unsafe. And suddenly Taliban started, they delft Heart and they started attacking Kandahar.
So very soon they took over Kandahar, they took over Helmand and then at the end, only Mazar and Herat remained. - And Kabul? - And Kabul, yes. And finally, in one day all of them brought all their forces, and they start attacking on Herat and we were hopeful that the army will come to fight but suddenly the government asked army not to fight against Taliban. - Did you still have clients when Herat and Mazar went down.
- Well, at this point I really lost my hope. When Herat fall I was in Kabul, I didn't stay in Mazar anymore, because I felt that Afghanistan is lost, we just lost Afghanistan. - Your wife and kids were in Mazar.
- Yes, they were all in Mazar. And when you first started asking me questions like, how I am, where am I, at that time I was in Kabul. So that was the last flight that I got from Mazar to Kabul after that no flight happened and lots of people remained at the airport.
Like they were crazy crowded airport and I was lucky with my kids and family to get out of Mazar at that point. - Where are you hiding in Kabul, like a friend's house? - Yeah, it was one of my cousin's house in a very crowded area of Kabul. So we were just staying in door.
- Everybody kept messaging me like, is Noor okay, is Noor safe, like thousands of messages man. And I know that you're smart with security. I see Daniel, Daniel. (speaks in foreign language) Remember me? - Yeah, and I was in Kabul when Mazar fall. And like we were very sad and it was a crazy moment. Just seeing Mazar in the hands of Taliban was just unforgettable.
- So did you leave all your stuff in Mazar-i-Sharif? - Yes, like the office, the house, the car, like whatever I had, it was just left behind. And I just came out with just a bag of clothing and my phone and computer and stuff like that. So yeah, unfortunately we just lost everything out there. - Tell me about the moment when the Taliban took over, like the president left, and the Taliban went inside the presidential palace. I watched it on TV crying, what happened over there? - I was in Kabul, that some of our friends that, I have lots of normal contacts around, like local based contacts for security issues, even when I was working in field of tourism and stuff.
So one of my contacts called the very far end of Kabul, which is like normally 15 kilometers away. He called me, Noor where are you? And I said, I'm here in Kabul. And he said, Taliban are here and Taliban we're just behind their house and he could see the vehicle and the shouting and stuff like that. He just called to and told me Noor are here, and it was really surprising for me it was like. I believe Taliban took over Herat, Taliban took over Mazar, many other places, but I thought Kabul at least will stay, maybe one or two months. - Me too men.
Yeah, just on the day two Taliban we're just over there and I was in shock, I was totally in shock and it was unbelievable. And after just in two hours Taliban reached to our areas where we were living, right in the middle of the town. I didn't know what's going on. And I was watching the news and everything and I found that the President has also left Afghanistan.
And yeah, that was the end of the hope in my heart, and I totally lost my confidence, I gave up I said okay, so the president is gone nobody is there, Taliban is in Kabul, there's nothing remaining. - That was a moment when you realize you needed to get out of Afghanistan. - Yeah, that was the moment that I thought okay, and I just asked my wife that we need to get out, we cannot stay here anymore. - What you're telling me is crazy, because you're so proud of your country and you always you're so resilient, and you always hold back and the moment when I hear you say that you have to leave it just it's it, that means that like it's worst case scenario, I mean, it literally means like, it's life or death, right? - Yeah and also, you remember Zablon Semento, sadly I remember that guy in my mind suddenly, I was worried about everything suddenly, I was worried what's going to happen to Afghanistan? What's going to happen to the people? What's going to happen? Suddenly, I remember Zablon, what's going to happen to Zablon? So the very last minute, it was around 2:00 PM the Taliban was right where we were, just outside on the streets. And the government was originally fallen, there was no police nowhere, all the soldiers escaped, all the police escape, like the city was like totally evacuated and it was Taliban everywhere.
After two hours, my cousin was outside, the one that I was leaving in his house and I asked him how was the situation and he said, "Well, Taliban are everywhere but it's just the beginning of everything." There was no shooting, no fight, because police didn't fight they just left and Taliban just came. And then for one or two hours I was just in shock and waiting and thinking and I didn't know what to do.
And then finally at four o'clock, I decided to go and meet Zablon. So I said I will just have my normal turban, wearing my African clothing and I will just go in the crowd. And I was really worried about this guy. And I thought he was-- - You risked our life to go to meet him? - Yeah and I just, I knew Taliban are going to have checkpoints. So I didn't took my phone with me because I have lots of emails, photos of my clients and everything out here. So I picked a small little phone, which was belongs to my wife and it put my SIM card in and I asked my wife that I wanna meet a friend.
She didn't like the idea, she was so worried but I said, I'm not sure when I'm going to meet Zablon again so let's just go to meet him. - And we found I just through the video that I made is when you first met him. - Yeah to be honest. (chuckles) - Wow men, so then you went to go meet Zablon and what happened? - Yeah, on the way there were, I saw Taliban for the first time with there white flags everywhere they were, it looked quite strange and crazy. And after a very, very long after like 20 years, I was seeing Taliban again and it was really heartbreaking.
And they were using the beautiful vehicles belongs to our army, belongs to our police, they were using them. And so first day they had a checkpoint, and then they stopped our car and they asked the driver who we are, where we going and we just said we're just normal people, we're moving from one side to another side we want to buy some groceries and stuff like that. And he went through our pocket and checked everything. He wanted to make sure we're not maybe an army guy trying to escape or government person. They just wanted to make sure. So they checked on my phone and everything.
It was just a small little phone, it was not smartphones. So yeah, this is let us go. And then there was another checkpoints and another checkpoints. So I pass three Taliban checkpoints. And it was a crazy crowd because the traffic that was controlling the traffic in the city, they all left there was no traffic out there. So every car was going in every roundabout and then everybody stopped out there.
Thousands of thousands of people and car just left in the middle of the town like that. So I tried to get out of the car and I started walking through the rush and the crowd and it was crazy. Most people didn't know what to do where to go.
Like everyone was just stuck out there. I passed through the crash the rush. And actually there was no taxis as well. So I walked for another 30 to 40 minutes, suddenly I saw cars standing by road. And I told him if they wanna go somewhere, so I hired the taxi again and I reached to Zablon finally. And there was nobody.
You remember that the alley where Zablon was living, it was a very crowded alley normally, there was lots of cars and people out there, businesses going on out there. So in that day there was nobody, no single person was moving and there was no car and nothing. That was the first time I saw Kabul that empty. So I walked into the road that Zablon was living. And finally I found the house and I started knocking. And someone finally came after like three four times, like banging and finally someone came, I found that like nobody wants to open the door.
I thought Zablon is void and they just locked the door from behind and nobody was interested. And finally, a guy asked like who I am and I introduced myself, Zablon recognize me and then he said, okay go open the door. So that guy came and open the door. Again, he was a very close friend of Zablon. He was with Zablon out there. So he opened the door and he let me in and I just went in say hello to Zablon and everything.
So I asked Zablon if you want to go somewhere safe. At the beginning, he said okay, and then later I don't know what crossed his mind and he said no. I was trying to get Zablon to a safe house to a guest house or something, for some reason he wants to stay here, he is stubborn he doesn't listen to me.
And I tried to really take him to somewhere which was safe to one of the guest houses that we were working, but he didn't accept finally when he said no, he's fine and he's okay. Actually I insisted, but he didn't accept. And then I said that if he wants to go to US because his friend asked me.
And I tried to explain everything to Zablon and he said, no, I have lots of debts to pay and I have lots of deals here. I have to look after the house that he's living out there, take care of the synagogue. So these were the main reasons.
And I tried to tell him that the people in New York is going to pay his debts, because they agreed to pay these debts. And they're going to give you a house, you should leave, it's dangerous for you, and he didn't accept. So I had to come back and I just told him okay, I'm happy that you were fine, I just wanted to see you.
So have a good time. And we just say goodbye to each other. Yeah, and I went back home again, it took like five to six hours for me to just meet Zablon. - That's what shows what kind of a person you are, you're such a good heart man that you went all the way through the Taliban checkpoints to go meet him. I wanna get into some some other details here.
So okay, so you realize you have to leave, and then you tried Pakistan, you tried India, you tried Turkey. Tell me about the process of trying to scramble and find the visa, what happened? - When I was in Kabul the first time before going to Mazar and take my kids and come back, that was the time that we, I and you were talking about Turkey, and you said that you're going to help me and so I started trying to apply for for Turkish visa, soon I found that there was 13,000 passports on the tables of Turkish embassy applying for visa. So it was impossible for me and the guys told me that it takes from one to two months to obtain a Turkish visa.
So I couldn't really wait for two months out there. So I said no, and then I tried India. India also took a week and then they said okay, come next week and then again come next week.
So I spent three weeks like that and nothing happened. The day that they asked me for interview that was the day that Kabul fall. - And you just got new passports, right? You just renewed your password? You're like the last person to renew, right? - Probably, yeah. So I only renewed passport just when you were talking about going to Turkey. - I'm so happy that I pushed you to go, if I didn't push you maybe you would just sit back and not wanna go. - Yeah, maybe.
Yeah, like when you were talking and you're worried about everything and I said okay, like when Drew asks let's do it. So finally, the other crazy thing was that my passport and everything was into the hands of the people who were supposed to take my Indian visa. And suddenly Kabul was fallen, the embassy was closed, everywhere was close and I didn't have my passports and documents with me.
So I was making phone calls and all the phones and everything was off. And it was a really crazy moment. So at this point I had the soft copies of my passports and documentations, I applied for a Pakistani visa.
And Pakistan visa also said that it might take more than two weeks. I was at this point, I just wanted to get out and I was applying to everywhere. Like it was another crazy story, how I got my passports back from the people, they were not replying to phone, they were not answering and I was searching for them everywhere and finally, I found them. I paid some money as well, because of my visa. It was the prepayment, I didn't even ask for my payment.
I just wanted my passwords and everything back so finally I had them. And at the very, very last point a friend of mine who was helping me with the organization with my little organization, her name was Sharon from Australia. She found a way to send this to Australia. She had a friend, a senator in Australia, she was also worried about me. She was also asking, thank you so much for her too, thank you Drew. Like at this point, everyone was worried.
Thanks all my friends and people from around the world. I really appreciate all their worries and cares and prayers for me. I was receiving lots of messages. And it seemed like lots of people were worried about me. And finally, Sharon talked to her friend the senator friend.
Like in one day, everything was solved. And they said, they asked me to immediately go to the airport. So I grabbed my passports and everything. And in one day everything was finalized and it was like a miracle. - With your wife? - With my wife and kids, yeah. - So I seen images of that airport.
Tell me about what it was like to go to the airport. - Sharon didn't only help me she helped like another 11 people. I mean, together with all of us, it was all 11 people. So Sharon passed all the contacts and we made contacts with each other. We were like a group of 11 friends and people traveling together. And they said, okay, "Call these guys gathering one place, go to the airport."
So we made that contacts and I found the people and we came together all of us. We received an email from Australian embassy that said, "Go to the northern gates of the airport of Kabul." So we went to the north, we found the northern gates, and we found that thousands of thousands of people and crowd is waiting behind the gate of the airport. And everywhere is controlled by Taliban there were shooting, when people were trying to rush they were just shooting like gunshots everywhere. (gun shoots) So I couldn't take my children close by because Daniel and my little girl was really shocked, and they were worried and they were scared. So I stopped the car very far away, back, back away.
And then I started walking through the crowd and tell them we're so harsh to people, they were hitting everybody. And they were even hitting with their guns. Like when they were like crazy, they were shooting and pushing people back like thousands of people, they had documents, they wanted to go in the airport, they had a flight to leave, but nobody cared about them. So from two o'clock in the afternoon, until three o'clock the next day, we were waiting behind the gates of the airport - No food. - No food.
At this point, like the only thing we wanted to go was just to go in the airport. We didn't care about anything else. It was a huge crowd out there.
And there was no food in the restaurant close by. And we only had some bottles of water and just like two to three biscuits with us. And we were just trying to keep ourselves alive with those biscuit and water.
It was a crazy crowd out there. So it was like 3:00 AM I heard that they're going to open the gate. So the whole flood of the population found this news suddenly and all of them just pushed behind the gate of the airport. All the men were just pushing, and women were pushing and there were children out there.
But luckily I didn't take my children with me. They were behind, it was just me and two of my friends. So we went there.
We just wanted to make sure once we go in the airport, we wanted to talk to the Australian delegations out there, showing all our visas and documents and everything. And then we were hoping that they might help us to get our kids, because in that pushing and buzkashi absolutely we couldn't make it. At this point I saw two kids in front of my eyes who were lost from the hands of their mommies, they were just gone and later on I found that there were died out there. And below the feet of the people in the crowd. Yeah, just it was a very horrible moment and woman started shouting and crying. And at this point she she forget about getting into the airport but sure asking about her daughter and people push back a little bit, but there was nothing out there.
Below my feet, I saw thousands of shoes just left behind. Because when people were making push, like this pushy crowd they were losing their shoes out there, they're losing their document. I saw passports, I saw certificates, working for Americans for any other organizations. Because when it was to pushy they were losing their documents from their hand, and they couldn't take it back because it was crazy crowd out there.
I saw mobile phones out there, I saw passports out there, but nobody had the courage to go down and pick them because once you lose something, you just lose it you cannot go down to pick it up because it was like, people are just packed like this. And when I saw that mommy was shouting and yelling for help and nobody, people were trying to help but nobody was able to help because we couldn't see the child, I really wanted to help but I saw there was no child out there, the child was just lost, I didn't know where was it, it was below the feet of people I don't know, but I couldn't see child out there and the mom was just shouting and hitting herself. And it was a horrible moment. And when I saw that woman crying and shouting and nobody helping it was a feeling of horror, just came to me and suddenly I was scared. And I tried to back out. I said okay, we cannot make it to the airport.
Let's just get out of here. I just got out and I asked for all the other friends and shouted them and found him and asked him to get out. Let's leave here. It's impossible to go to the airport from here.
So we went back to the car and it was a bad news for my wife as well, I told her that it's impossible to go to the airport and she was sad as well, like all her friends were all worried as well. And finally I said, "Okay, let's try another gate." It was now four o'clock in the morning.
We took the taxi, we passed the crowd, and we went to another gate of the airport, we found another gate in the eastern side of the airport. When we reached there it was again, like thousands of thousands of people parked behind that gate. And I think it was American soldiers, all of them standing out there with their guns. And they were not allowing anybody to go close the gate.
And we waited there for like an hour and finally we found that it's impossible to go to the airport from here as well. So I said let's try another gate. So I was not trying to give up, I was trying to find a way to go in.
- Which gate is the one that we always go to, when we go to the airport? - That was that was the southern gate. That's the main gate of the airport. - I know in my head, yeah.
- Yeah, that's the gate that was totally controlled by Taliban, so nobody was even allowed to go close that gate. The Taliban were just shooting directly at people, six, seven people died out there with direct shooting. So nobody wanted to go to that gate. So again, we tried for the third time. And then I found the gate where there were British soldiers.
The nice thing was that this British soldiers were talking to people. And I asked that British guy that I just went, there was lots of British soldiers standing and I told them that, "Look we have documents, we want to go into the airport, how we can go there finally?" And he showed me another way that look, go through that way and then finally you can get out of the airport. I looked at that way and I saw maybe a million people pushing out there to go through that gate. So everywhere it was pack of people everywhere. And again, I asked for my children, my wife to stay in the car.
I said I'm going to make it through, once I'm at the Australian delegation, I will let them know and maybe they will help us. So I hit myself again at the heart of the crowd. This location that I'm talking about it's exactly the locations that two crazy explosion happened three days later. - Yeah I saw that. - This is exactly the location I'm talking about.
So I was at this location and I passed through many, many people. It took five hours for me to go through 50 meters. - And your wife is just sitting in the car with your kids? - Yes, at this point I was alone.
So I made through the crowd after five hours I made like, I went through 50 meters and finally I was at the location where the British Soldiers were looking at the document of people. So finally I reached myself to the British soldiers, and they were so rude. And they were like using lots of bad words for people.
And then they were really impolite. And it was a very crazy moment for me it was, at this point, I saw lots of people, because there was a ditch of septic water passing by even lots of people were trying to have a shortcut to throw themselves in the water that was all water from septic and it was really dirty and smelly. And it was like, horrible to go into that water.
But I saw lots of people jumped into the water, trying to pass and then get up, and then go to the other side. Yeah, I made through this. And finally I saw the British soldiers and I told them that I wanna see an Australian delegations. And finally, they didn't allow me to go there. They called an Australian guy. He came and he saw my documentations and he said, he asked me where my wife and children are.
And I said, they're outside and it was only me who made to the crowd. And he said, you need to go bring your children through the crowd, and then come to us. And I said, Oh, my God. I told him there is a way out there you can just call them and they can pass, this is the documents and we just want to go to the airport.
And he said "No, it's impossible you need to go through the crowd and get in." - Oh, God. - And they just nicely showed me the way out.
And then again, I was out out after six hours of trying I was again at the spot where I just begin, And by this time it was noon. It was like, almost 12 o'clock. So it was it was a really crazy moment and I was really pissed off and I didn't know what to do. And my whole body was wet, my clothes and like everything was just wet. It looks like I jumped into the water and came out, it was like that. - Why?
- Because it was too pushy and hot. And it was like a crazy sport. It's like a buzkashi, like my whole body was wet because of sweat that was coming out of my body. - And so what happened when you went back to your wife and kids and told them what happened? - Finally I asked him okay guys, let's have a lunch, prepare yourself, we need to have a buzkashi here now. I went up and down, I found some food, some biscuits and some water. And there was some kinds of energy drinks I bought.
And then I just gave it to everybody and said, "Look, drink energy drink." The weather was very hot, the sunshine was just out there. And I said we need to make through this crowd, prepare yourself for five hours fight in a buzkashi ground. After we had our lunch, I put Daniel on my shoulder, Daniel was very heavy and I was very tired. I had my backpack with me, I had my wife taking care of the baby and the other friends. We again started from zero through the people.
And it took another three to four hours for us to push through the people, get to that soldiers where I was there, five, six hours before. And previously in the morning that I came it was for lots of time that the sun was not out it was not that hot but this time it was very hot. I saw people like falling down out of heat. And there was no water out there.
So I bought some bottles of water with us well to just refresh us during this crazy trip. At this point I saw another two child was lost here. I saw their bodies that people try to get them out.
I saw old woman and I saw a woman fall from the bridge into that septic water she hurt herself as well. And it was like very sad and crazy moments. And at this point I was really emotional. And I was just asking to God that why is doing this to our people? Why everybody has to leave the country like this? Why people want to die here and they hate Afghanistan and they hate the regime and everything. I mean, what makes people to leave Afghanistan like this. The days before I saw people fall in from the airplane.
Many people died in the shootings. And today people are dying just in the crowd. They lose their life but they want to leave Afghanistan, what's going on here? So finally, it was a very painful moment. And at some point I was also very tired, Daniel was just like on my shoulder. He's very heavy, he's like 20 to 25 Kgs, I don't know.
And I have to hold Daniel like that for hours and I had to push through because you need to fight, you need to push. Like again sweat, my whole clothing and everyone's clothing was totally wet, because it was like a heavy crazy practice out there, like crazy sports. So we finally made it again, my wife was very tired and everyone was tired. I was just trying to encourage everybody to not to give up, try to be strong, people needed fresh air and there was no fresh air, it was crazy moment.
Finally, after a lot pushings and crazy moments, we again, reached to that British soldiers and again showed them my documents. And then again, I asked him that I needed to see the Australian delegation, they called an Australian soldier out there and he came, and he looked at our papers. And then he said okay, no it's not enough.
And I don't know, like crazy sentences. And I told him that I was here in the morning, you guys accepted everything. Look, this is letter, this is the experience that I have. My life is in danger. And this is the letter from your senator, this is the letter from your guy, I showed him the emails and everything and finally said, "Okay, I'm going to talk to others." Then he went and talked to one of his boss, and then the boss came, and I tried to talk to him.
And finally he allowed me to go into the airport. So yeah, that's how we went into the airport. So I'm now trying to write a story about that.
- So you get into the airport and then what happens? - And then it was a lot of people out there, the people who got there before us, they were resisting us, and they were checking us, we have to wait. And then a car was coming and taking guys. And then they were taking to the Australian section of the airport. When we reach to the Australian section.
Well, to be honest, the soldiers were really nice. They were very kind. I really need to appreciate the Australian soldiers at this point, who really helpful and they tried their best to help us. And then they took us to a location, I think it was a detention center. Mainly prisoners were kept there. By the time that we reached there they actually didn't have a facility to take care of us out there.
They were only leaving us to go in but they didn't have anything like no room, no bed nothing. It was just on the ground, open area grounds fence around. And it was just plain land out there, like grass growing, soil. So they said okay, find a place, suit yourself and sleep here. And I was like, what give us something, we need a blanket or something. But he said we don't have any blanket nothing, you need to pass the night like this.
It was 11 o'clock at night when we reached inside this location. So I was searching around to find maybe a piece of carton or a piece of cloth or something to throw out there and sleep on. We couldn't find anything. So I finally went back to the Australian soldiers and I told him that okay, at least give us something maybe a piece of carton or a piece of cloth something to sleep on.
He said how many people we are, I told him that we are four people, two children and two adults. And he went and came back and gave me one carton. He said this is for the two kids. So I don't care about the adults, you go do something I don't know and I said okay. So I got that carton and I came and I asked Daniel and the baby to sleep on that carton.
And we ourselves we didn't have anything, so we just slept on the ground like that. And it was very cold at night. So the whole night we couldn't sleep, the previous night we also didn't sleep because we were behind the gate of the airport so this night we didn't also sleep. And it was like really cold.
We were just shaking the whole night. So in the morning I was totally sick, like I had a runny nose. And we had some clothing in my bag I just put it on Daniel and the baby I didn't want them to get cold and sick. So and the other friends as well. Many other people were there all of them had the same situation until the next day, so the next day in the sunshine, it was a bit warmer. So it was like with the sunshine and thank God it was like heaven, because our body was getting warm a little bit.
And then at this point they were accepting passports and documents. When it became eight o'clock the officials came, they put a table out there with some chairs and they started asking people. So the people were going and they had four flights from Kabul to Dubai that day, for Australian military flights. Finally, at the end of the day, it was totally dark that it was my turn.
So we give all documentations and they put us on the last flight at 12 o'clock. And then we reached to Dubai around four or five. - How many people were on the flight? - Around 250 people in the flight. - So there were seats on the plane? - No, it's a military plane. So people just go and sit on the ground.
- But it took you three days, almost two and a half to get from the moment you arrived at the airport until you got on the plane. - Yeah, and finally we were in Dubai. And once we reached in in Dubai, I don't know where it was in Dubai.
We had no idea it was just all military, all military sections belong to the Australian Government. - How did you feel when you arrived? - It was a feeling of relief actually. So it was the feeling that I thought okay, we're going to survive now, we're going to be fine. (speaks in foreign language) This is our lunch here, that's good.
- Alhamdulillah. - Alhamdulillah. So, at this point they gave us food, they gave us fruits. So it was really nice after a long time we were having eating an apple, it was so tasty. They did our COVID tests and everything.
And hopefully after a while, I found that we were all negative. And then they took us to a camp. It was a nice place that they gave us rooms out there. But because there were too many people, I think there were like more than 2000 people in that camp. So there were separating men from women.
So they took my wife to another dorm where all the women were there. And they took me and my Daniel to another dorm where all men were there. So they separate us from each other.
And it was a room with 14 bunks inside. So they gave us a bunk and we were sleeping out there. And for one week I was there. So by this time, sometime we were chatting as well, we didn't have internet.
So I was trying to move around and find some WiFi very weak signals. And I was just trying to connect myself with any WiFi signals I was finding. And we were waiting in lines, like hundreds of people waiting in one line to wait for the food.
So when I had to have a lunch, I had to go there two hours before. 12 o'clock they were providing lunch. So I was going there at 10 waiting in line for two hours until it was my time. So we were receiving food. So we are on the line for lunch here.
- You were safe in Dubai. - Yes. - As soon as you got there they had a bed for you, they had food and then eventually you went to Australia? - Yes, and after like five days, my name was on the list to fly to Australia. We went there, we did all the paper works, we were checked, everything was fine, I could go into the plane. And then before that they were just doing our biometrics and fingerprints. And the fingerprints, they found that I had another fingerprints in 2007.
And it was at the US Embassy, you know this story. (chuckles) But with a different birth date. - Who cares about your birthday at this point? It's just your safety Man.
- Yes, and they said "You have a different birth date sir, you cannot fly today." And I said, "Oh my God, please let me get into a plane." So, finally after like 10 days waiting here in Dubai, I finally have my boarding pass and everything, that's good news.
Four days ago they brought me here, out there on that table. I tried to explain that I was a kid, I was going for education to US, I couldn't make it, I was rejected. And he said, "You have a different birth and we need to fix that." And they just sent me back to the compound. After this it was really boring for me to stay in this compound. (clears throat) The guy said that I'm going to get you on the next flight as soon as possible.
But it took other five days for me and many flights left. And I was really worried because I thought I'm going to leave behind, because he said as soon as possible and now it's five days, and many flights left and like almost the whole compound was emptied. And I was one of the very few people left behind with my family that finally they written my name on the list and it was a very happy moment and the next morning we flew it was a long flight, it's like 15 hours, it took 15 hours. - You arrived in Melbourne and I took care of you and now you're there? - Yeah, we arrived in Melbourne.
It was just like a new life here like a new heaven and people very nice, everybody taking care of us. Everybody is helping with us, holding the baby, showing us the way everywhere you go. But they talk to you with various pegs, somebody coming to give you food, somebody is coming to give you water. They're really taking good care of us, every morning they call us and ask us if we have a problem, if you need medicine, if we need food, or water or clothes, whatever. Yeah, so a special thanks to the government of Australia, and the people of Australia that they're the best. They're really nice and we really remember this historical moments of our life.
- Wow, I have a lot of emotions that I'm feeling. But first off, I'm so happy that you're safe. I'm terribly sorry that you had to go through all that pain and misery man, that's just so brutal.
And I mean, I saw the explosion that happened right after you left, I mean-- - Yeah, unfortunately. - Unfortunately 200 people are almost were killed. And you were so resilient man, you're so strong, I can imagine, I close my eyes 'cause I've been at that airport eight times, 'cause I've had to go, flying from Tehran fly, I've been in that airport almost 10 times probably. And I'm imagining you pushing there, sweating with Daniel on your shoulders, and you just didn't give up, you could have given up, you could have said alright, we're going back to my cousin's house, and we're gonna wait a couple more days.
And if you waited a couple more days, you'd be stuck there. Because it's no more flights now. So then higher your courage, I'm just so happy that you were able to get out safely with your family, with your kids. And man, I'm sure there are people that are gonna be watching this video that are in Melbourne who can offer help, and you have a new life and a new friendships and new communities. And you're a very smart guy, you're very educated, you speak perfect English, and I'm very sure that you will find a nice community there, a great job and stay there as long as you need for safety. And I'm just very, very happy man.
So, I get the goosebumps, the feeling in your arm, 'cause this is from my first trip to Afghanistan in 2018, and then I made all those videos there. And that helped introduce you to a lot more people. So I just feel very grateful that I was able to help contribute.
Even if I didn't personally get you in Australia, just helping further the conversation-- - No it was nice of you, thank you Drew for all the process. And your trips for Afghanistan, it was so nice of you. We through your lens, we were all able to show Afghanistan to lots of lots of people, lots of new chances, and gates opened for me and for Afghanistan. And of course, if you were not there, I was not at this point right now. And everything was perfect.
We had good times. Thank you for all your efforts and care and prayers to me Drew and yeah, I'm here finally safe. And thanks for making this video and creating this story. - You know that we're gonna be friends for life.
I will be seeing you in Melbourne as soon as it's open. The country is closed right now. But as soon as this COVID mess passes, I'm gonna come out and hang out with you guys.
And I just wanna let you know Afghanistan just has a very special place in my heart. You can see the flag on my wall. The picture from the photographer it's in the wall in front of me that 100 year old camera it's right here. And then I got something in Bamyan which is on my wall over there.
So I think about Afghanistan all the time. It's terrible what's happened, but I'm so happy that you're safe and I hope to see you soon bro. - Thank you so much.
Thank you so much Drew. Wish you a good life. Wish you a good life with your beautiful lady. And thank you for all of this.
- Of course Noor absolutely. And listen, I will see you soon. Like if it opens in six months I'm coming down in six months to see you so. - Inshallah.
They say it's going to open soon, so hopefully, - I will absolutely come men, I will see you down there in Melbourne. And by the way, you're my favorite city in Australia. So anyway, thank you for your time, please send my blessings to your beautiful wife. And now it seems like Daniel and Deanna are gonna grow up with a thick Australian accent. (chuckles) Once they learn how to speak English, they're gonna be talking like an Ozzy, which is actually exciting. Today I'm so happy to see you smiling and everything.
And we'll be in touch man. - Yeah, that's great. Thank you so much.
Have a good day and have a good time. (speaks in foreign language) Have a good day. - See you later men, bye.
- Bye. - Thank you Noor, so happy that you're safe man. I love you bro, you're the best . Afghanistan, I'm just speechless. I really hope for the best for all you guys. And I hope you guys can get out safely.
And thank you guys for tuning into this video. If you are interested to donate, I'm putting links below to some fundraisers that have been started by people I know or their friends. So the reputable sources, if you wanna contribute to Noor or to his colleagues to other tour guides and drivers in Afghanistan, and to those who need it most. You could find out links below in the description. And I'm just happy that Noor is safe.
All right, well you heard the story from him. Nothing more for me to say. Thanks for watching.
2021-09-10 23:17
