- Title: The Afghan minister who became a bicycle courier in Germany
- Date: 26th August 2021
- Summary: LEIPZIG, GERMANY (AUGUST 26, 2021) (REUTERS) AFGHAN REFUGEE AND FORMER COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER IN THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, SAYED SADAAT PUTTING LIEFERANDO (FOOD DELIVERY COMPANY) BAG ON BACK AND GETTING ON BIKE SADAAT CYCLING PAST IN LIEFERANDO UNIFORM SADAAT LEANING ON BIKE LIEFERANDO HELMET (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER IN THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, SAYED SADAAT, SAYING: "Everybody has to work! because if you are having expenses and paying rent and you need money for your food and accommodation, then you have to work. It doesn't mean that once you are (have been) a minister that you have to stay without work and do nothing. I encourage all other politicians. They should take a step forward and should work after their retirement from their job and they should work in the community as normal people." LIEFERANDO BAG SADAAT SITTING LEANING ON BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER IN THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, SAYED SADAAT, SAYING: "I am proud that I am doing it, otherwise I could have been one of the corrupt ministers, I could have made millions of dollars and could have bought buildings here, hotels here or in Dubai and I wouldn't have needed to work. But I am proud that my soul is happy and I have nothing to be feeling guilty - so I am doing an ordinary job and I hope other politicians also follow the same way to work with the public rather than just keeping hiding." CLOSE OF BIKE HANDLEBAR / WHEEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER IN THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, SAYED SADAAT, SAYING: "It doesn't matter! I was before a minister serving people and now I am a Lieferando courier driving Lieferando's services to people. It still is serving people." SADAAT WITH BIKE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER IN THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, SAYED SADAAT, SAYING: "It makes sense because Afghans are tired of war and so is the military - twenty years they have fought alongside the international community with this endless war - so they were tired and they didn't wan any more to fight, but it was unpredictable that (it would fall) fast but it happened and that means that Afghans don't want to have a fight any more." LIEFERANDO HELMET SADAAT CYCLING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER IN THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, SAYED SADAAT, SAYING: "If the International Community help Afghanistan, they (must) recognise the Taliban government, and work along with them, negotiate what international community want in return of aid, money they giving to them and also what they want from International Community with mutual talk and discussion. If they come up with a solution and then Afghanistan will be a prosperous country because Afghanistan has got many natural resources, in a peaceful Afghanistan they can extract them, they can make their economy better." SADAAT ON BIKE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER IN THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT, SAYED SADAAT, SAYING: "Also Afghanistan will not be any more training base for international terrorism. Narcotics will be completely eradicated, like right now the Taliban say already that narcotics will be again zero." SADAAT CYCLING
- Embargoed: 9th September 2021 20:37
- Keywords: Afghanistan Taliban evacuees former minister new jobs refugees
- Location: LEIPZIG, GERMANY
- City: LEIPZIG, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001ERX0TVR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Sayed Sadaat used to be a communications minister in the Afghan government before moving to Germany last September in the hope of a better future. Now he is a delivery man in the eastern city of Leipzig.
He said some at home criticised him for taking such a job after having served in the government for two years, leaving office in 2018. But for Sadaat, a job is a job.
"I have nothing to feel guilty about," the 49-year-old said, standing in his orange Lieferando uniform next to his delivery bike.
"I hope other politicians also follow the same path, working with the public rather than just hiding."
His story has gained particular prominence with the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Family and friends of his also want to leave - hoping to join the thousands of others on evacuation flights or trying to find other routes out.
With the withdrawal of U.S. troops on the horizon, the number of Afghan asylum seekers in Germany has risen since the beginning of the year, jumping by more than 130%, data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees showed.
But even with his background, Sadaat struggled to find a job in Germany that matched his experience. With degrees in IT and telecoms, Sadaat had hoped to find work in a related field. But with no German, his chances were slim.
"I am proud that I am doing it, otherwise I could have become one of the corrupt ministers, I could have made millions of dollars and could have bought buildings here, hotels here or in Dubai and I wouldn't have needed to work. But I am proud that my soul is happy and I have nothing to be feeling guilty - so I am doing an ordinary job and I hope other politicians also follow the same way to work with the public rather than just keeping hiding," said Sadaat, who also holds British citizenship.
Every day he does four hours of German at a language school before starting a six-hour evening shift delivering meals for Lieferando, where he started this summer.
"It doesn't matter! I was before a minister serving people and now I am a Lieferando courier driving Lieferando's services to people. It still is serving people," he says.
(production: Leon Malherbe, Stefan remter, Tanya Wood, Michele Sani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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