Mònica Bernabé: "The black tunic allows me to go unnoticed in Afghanistan"

Mònica Bernabé is one of the European journalists who best knows Afghanistan. She first went there in 2000, during the first Taliban regime, lived there between 2006 and 2014, and has returned on several occasions, the last one this August 2026, when it has been five years since the withdrawal of American troops. We speak with her about what she has seen, what they have told her, and how she has disguised herself to be able to narrate the reality of Taliban Afghanistan, a regime that does not want foreign journalists and makes it difficult to report on what is happening in the country.

An image that has surprised you?

— I was struck by seeing many women with the typical Gulf countries' niqab, the black veil that only shows the eyes. They had never worn it in Afghanistan.

Do you find any explanation?

— Undoubtedly there is influence from the Gulf countries. Qatar, an ally of Western countries, is one of those that supports the Taliban regime. When I asked the women why they wore it, some told me that it was more comfortable than the burqa. When I lived in Kabul, however, no woman covered her face in the city. Now they all do. 

The taxis also resemble those of Qatar.

— Curious, they had always been yellow and now they have changed color and are like those of Qatar: sky blue. Beyond that, it should be taken into account that the Taliban already had a diplomatic office in Qatar even before returning to power. Qatar has always played a double game: it organized evacuation flights when the Taliban came to power in 2021, but at the same time they were responsible for repairing Kabul airport, which the American troops left useless at the time of leaving the country. Currently, Qatar is also building a very large residential complex in Kabul which it will hand over to the Taliban Ministry of Housing once it is completed. So Qatar's role with the Taliban regime is quite suspicious.

Have you seen Kabul much changed?

— Yes. The airport seemed much more orderly to me, new avenues have opened up and buildings are being constructed everywhere. In fact, there had never been so much construction in Kabul since 2001, when the city was rebuilt with the arrival of international troops. It surprised me, because the idea we have of the Taliban is of a chaotic regime of four fanatics who don't know how to manage anything. And seeing this is very frightening. Either they do know how, or they have the support of someone behind them who helps them stay in power. 

In what situation have you seen women? 

— Excluded from public life. The women I have spoken to hardly leave their homes, and girls cannot study from the age of 12. It is the only country in the world where girls cannot attend secondary education, nor go to university afterwards.

What do they do from twelve onwards?

— They stay at home. Families who can afford it send them to a madrassa, an Islamic school that must be paid for. I have been able to visit three of them. Some teach that, to be a "good Muslim woman", one must get married, have children, and obey her husband. Others, however, teach secondary education subjects clandestinely, because the Taliban cannot control what is taught in the classrooms of all madrassas. In 2021 there were 5,000 madrassas in Afghanistan. Now there are 23,000. It is part of a Taliban strategy to transform the mentality of new generations. In fact, religion is everywhere: you turn on the television and they recite the Quran, you walk down the street and there are billboards reminding you that you must be a "good Muslim"…

You have spoken with girls who say they want to study and dream of becoming doctors, teachers, or even presidents of Afghanistan. You have also photographed and videoed them with their faces uncovered. Have you put them at risk?

— Obviously, it would not occur to me to publish an image that could put someone in danger. In Afghanistan, there has been no population census since the 70s. There are people who have identity cards and people who do not, siblings from the same father and mother who have different surnames... In other words, it's a real mess, nothing is controlled. Furthermore, girls always cover their faces in the street. Showing them does not put them at risk. On the contrary, it would be easier to identify them if they were covered.

Does going covered also help you camouflage yourself?

— I have always dressed in a black tunic and headscarf in Afghanistan, even when the international troops were there, because at that time there was a risk of kidnapping for foreigners. No one demanded it of me. I myself realized that the easiest way to move around, feel safe, and go completely unnoticed was to dress as if I were just another Afghan. This has now allowed me to enter madrassas or interview people that, otherwise, would have been impossible.

Another woman who appears in one of the reports is the owner of a clandestine beauty center.

— It was she herself who asked me to take her picture with her face uncovered: she told me take the picture so it can be seen that we resist here. The Taliban decreed the closure of all beauty salons and hairdressers for women in 2023. It may seem like a minor detail, but it is the only place where women could continue to meet with a certain freedom.

It has been five years since the Taliban came to power, the same amount of time their first regime lasted. How do you see the future?

— During their first regime they were at war with another also Islamic faction and Afghanistan was a completely devastated country after two decades of conflict. Now Afghanistan is a country with deficiencies, but rebuilt, and the Taliban have more strength than ever, because in 2021 they seized all the weapons of the former Afghan police and army, which had been provided to them by the United States. For example, the Taliban now have helicopters that they did not have before. Everything suggests that their regime will last a long time.

And what is their relationship with the international community? 

— From the West, we think that the international community is us, but it turns out that the world is much larger. Western countries have established an economic blockade on the Taliban regime. No Western country, except Japan, has reopened an embassy in Afghanistan. But, on the other hand, the Taliban have started doing business and maintaining diplomatic relations with other countries. Russia is the only one that has recognized them as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. And their great allies are now Qatar and China, but they also do business and have relations with the countries of the region. For example, with India, Tajikistan, or Iran.

Has had a lot of trouble entering the country? 

— It hasn't been easy, but thanks to my contacts I've managed it. I can't say much more. 

And how did you manage to stay and get around?

— I stayed in a hotel, and I managed to move around thanks to the contacts I have who helped me. I must say that initially they were very nervous because dealing with a foreigner put them at risk. But then they gradually calmed down when they saw that the Taliban were not stopping our car and we went unnoticed. 

Are there foreigners in Afghanistan? 

— When I lived there, between 2006 and 2014, and the international troops were there, you didn't see foreigners walking down the street, basically because there was a high risk of kidnapping. But you did see cars from NGOs or international organizations driving around. Now I've only seen one UN vehicle, and in the departure lounge of the return flight there were five foreigners, two of whom were Chinese. 

Many readers comment that you are brave.

— I don't consider myself brave. I try to do my job as a journalist well. I know that when I talk about Afghanistan, I have a certain credibility because I lived there for many years. That's why I believe I have to go there, talk to people, and see with my own eyes what's happening there. Logically, going to Afghanistan is not like going to the Bahamas; it has its risks, I'm aware of that, but I try to minimize them as much as possible.