I wanted to return to Afghanistan, but returning after more than 20 years isn't simple.

MunemiSo your career as a celebrity makeup artist was successful from the start.
MunemiYour career is very successful as a celebrity makeup artist so it was from the start.

MatinBut actually, I always wanted to do fashion. I wanted to be seen as cool. The more I thought, 'I want to do more fashion!' the more celebrity work came my way.
It was quite a dilemma at first, but eventually, I came to appreciate it. Then, when my own project came up, I realized, 'Ah, so that's what it was. This was the universe's plan.'
Without the celebrity clients I'd worked with, Afghan Hands could never have become what it is today.
MatinBut actually I always wanted to do fashion, I wanted to be a cool one. And more I wanted to do fashion then more celebrities I got. It was kind of frustrating in the beginning but eventually I appreciated what I have, and when my project, Afghan Hands popped up, I realized “ Ah, it was all for this, it was the big plan of the universe to be.” Without celebrity clients I have worked with, Afghan Hands could have not been the way it is.

MunemiWhat inspired you to start Afghan Hands?
MunemiWhat inspired you to start Afghan Hands?

MatinI wanted to go back to Afghanistan. But returning after more than 20 years wasn't easy. It didn't feel right to just go back and see how much people had suffered. I felt it would be insensitive to just return and show off my comfortable life in America without being able to do anything for them.
I think I would feel insulted too if I were in their position. Someone who had been away in America for a long time returns and says, 'I'm back!' 'What happened to you all these years? You were raped, killed, starved...' Just to witness their suffering without finding any meaning felt wrong.
MatinI wanted to go back to Afghanistan. But going back there after more than 20 years was not easy, to just go back and see how people have suffered just did not feel right. I thought it would be disrespectful to just go and show off how I had a relatively comfortable life in the west and here I was once more, all intact just watching how they have suffered ... I would be offended too if someone comes back from America after so many years and “Hey, I am back.” “ What happened to you guys the last 30 years being raped, being killed, starved…” I just couldn’t go with a right conscious to just even to look.



MunemiDid you leave the country with your family?
MunemiDid you leave a country with your family?

MatinMy father was left behind for six years. My two younger sisters, my mother, and I left the country together. I already had an older sister living in California.
MatinMy father was left behind for 6 years. So I and my two younger sisters and mother left our country together. I had an older sister who had been in California.

MunemiWas it an escape?
MunemiWas it like escaping the country?

MatinAbsolutely. Once I graduated from high school, I would have had to join either the government army or the resistance. Either way, I couldn't bring myself to point a gun at my own people. The situation was that Soviet forces were sending Afghan troops to fight against the resistance. If I didn't shoot my own people, I'd be shot by the Soviets. If I shot my own people, I'd be shot back.
My only choice was to leave the country. But it was incredibly painful because I had to lie to everyone I knew to get out. So when I returned, my name wasn't corrected in Afghanistan until I became a U.S. citizen. My father did everything he could to help us escape, but he couldn't leave and was left behind. He was essentially held captive, but later managed to escape through the Pakistan border hidden in a food truck.
MatinAbsolutory. Once I got a diploma from high school I had to either join the military or resistance. Either way, I couldn’t, I couldn’t shoot my own people. What happened was Russians were sending Afghan troops to fight with freedom fighters. If you didn’t shoot your own people they will shoot you. If you shoot your own people they will shoot you back. The only choice for me to leave, but it wasn’t easy because I had to lie to everyone I knew to get me out of the country. So I came back with a fake passport and fake name. My name wasn’t fixed until I became a citizen here in The States. My father helped me to get out of there as soon as he could, and he couldn’t leave, he was left behind. He was basically like a prisoner and later was smuggled out with a food truck through Pakistan border.

MunemiSo when did you return to Afghanistan?
MunemiSo when did you go back?

MatinIn 2004, after 23 years. I was shocked because the landscape had changed so much. Every utility pole and wall was riddled with bullet holes. Kabul was destroyed. It looked as if there had been a shootout every day. I was devastated and cried every day.
MatinSo I went back there after 23 years in 2004. It was shocking because the city didn’t looks like when I left it. You could not find any light polls or walls without bullet holes. Kabul was destroyed. It looked like they had been shooting every single day. I was devastated and cried everyday.





Profile
Matin is originally from Afghanistan. He is one of the most sought after fashion and celebrity make-up artists working today. His work has been published on the international and domestic covers and pages of Vogue, Elle, InStyle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Vanity Fair.
Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie, Julianne Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Claire Danes, pop stars Dido, Mandy Moore, and Jessica Simpson -- all are among his clients. He is also the chief cosmetics science expert for Neutrogena.
Matin is the founder of Afghan Hands Inc., a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to helping Afghan widows.
CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 profiled the Afghan Hands project, and press coverage includes Elle, Life and Style, Vogue Nippon, Lucky and People.