Some graphic designers say that with the Taliban cutting off fiber optic internet, they fear losing their jobs and the end of their professional collaborations. They emphasize that they had been working online with companies and institutions, but that opportunity has now been taken away. According to these designers, the internet shutdown poses a serious threat to their professional future and will force skilled specialists to leave the country.
These designers explain that at a time when job opportunities in the country are already severely limited, cutting off fiber optic internet could destroy the few remaining options and push them into a livelihood crisis with an uncertain future.
Sohrab Akbar (pseudonym), one of the designers, expressed concern, saying that work in graphics and editing depends on high-speed internet, and without it, completing tasks will become extremely difficult and time-consuming. He added that even in the past, because of slow internet speeds, he was unable to deliver his projects on time.
Mr. Akbar said, “In recent days, rumors about a complete shutdown of the internet in the country have triggered a wave of anxiety and distress among all of us. This concern is not limited to one particular group; it affects everyone whose work and business are directly or indirectly tied to the internet. For those of us whose professional lives largely depend on the internet, such news is like a major alarm bell.”
The designer stressed that while this issue may not seem serious for those whose work does not depend on the internet, for him, dealing daily with online projects, it would mean a complete halt to his professional activity. “Under such circumstances,” he said, “I and people like me will be left unemployed.”
The graphic designer added, “Personally, I have often thought that if the internet is completely cut off, I will have no prospect for continuing my work in this country. The only solution that comes to mind is migration.”
Zeinab Yousufi (pseudonym), a young woman whose professional activities also heavily depend on the internet, shared similar concerns. She explained that slow internet has always caused her problems in sending and receiving files and delivering projects to clients. According to her, cutting fiber optic internet directly impacts her efficiency and professional credibility.
She added, “Some graphic design projects are very large in size. When the internet speed is low, I have to wait for hours just to upload or download files. As a result, we often fail to deliver projects to clients on time.”
Ms. Yousufi further described the internet shutdown as deeply worrying, stressing that if this situation continues, her professional future will be at risk of collapse. She said that under these conditions, competing with designers in other countries becomes far more difficult.
At the same time, the shutdown of high-speed internet has endangered specialized design training opportunities for dozens of Afghan girls at an international institute. The Wond International Institute, which provides free design training for girls in Afghanistan, announced that about 80 percent of its students are based inside the country.
While these graphic designers warn of the destruction of their professional futures, the Taliban’s decision to cut off fiber optic internet has faced widespread backlash from citizens, civil activists, and human rights organizations inside and outside Afghanistan.
Alongside widespread protests and condemnation by women’s rights activists in Afghanistan, Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also denounced the Taliban’s internet shutdown, describing it as another attempt by the group to deprive girls of online education. She called on world countries to increase pressure on the Taliban.
The Afghanistan Women’s Political Participation Network described the Taliban’s internet shutdown as a deliberate tool to silence the people and prevent documentation of human rights violations. Similarly, the Afghanistan Freedom and Women’s Thought Foundation condemned the move as inhumane and anti-freedom, emphasizing that such a decision deprives people of their fundamental right to access information.
The Taliban began cutting fiber optic internet in Balkh province last week, and the measure has now spread widely to most provinces. The group has claimed that the purpose of this action is to prevent “immoral acts,” but people of Afghanistan have accused the Taliban of fearing the amplification of citizens’ voices, disruption of livelihoods, and women’s education.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
قطع انترنت؛ طالبان آینده شغلی طراحان گرافیک را در آستانه نابودی قرار دادند
