It was the era of the nineties, when heavy boots and gunshots began to echo through the streets of Afghanistan. Janana’s screams announced the Taliban’s arrival even before that. Some girls who wandered around the market wearing perfume were severely whipped. Within minutes, the fragrance was replaced by blood, and the brightness was replaced by silence. Soon after, a list of bans and restrictions came out that continues to grow. Fast forward to 2024…! Taliban presence again in Kabul and Kandahar. Even more vicious than before. More cruel. More hardcore.
It’s not just women who are in trouble, men are also walking on a thin rope, ready to fall into the abyss below if they slip. aajtak.in spoke to Salim (pseudonym), a person from Kabul, over the phone.
The father of two twin girls says – Where should we go and who should we ask for help? To the world we are churan – chutney. It’s only on the plate when you need to change the flavor, otherwise it’s missing.
This is also true to some extent. When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, the world had just emerged from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. People try to bridge this vast distance in a short period of time. Meanwhile, the news of the Taliban flag being raised in Kabul is as much news as the tears of a wife who is beaten every day nearby. Countries collectively sighed and mourned. The United Nations did the old thing. From time to time, interesting bits about restrictions on women appear in the media. That’s it after that!
Afghanistan is now alone. On your terms. It does not contain any spices and can bring a new taste to the tongue.
Afghans living under severe restrictions are seeking asylum. Pakistan repatriated thousands of Afghans last year. Western countries closed their doors and called him a terrorist. Now they have no choice but to remain bound by the power of the Taliban and abide by their rules.
Likewise, we spoke to beleaguered father Salim over the phone. During the approximately 40-minute call, he recounted many things he heard and did not hear.
It must have been late in the afternoon on August 15, when the noise in Kabul was getting louder and louder. There were only people carrying suitcases and bags on the street. The taxi is full. It’s like the whole country has descended on our city. Everyone ran to the airport. “Get out of there as soon as possible or you’ll be stuck in there,” one friend said in farewell. He campaigned in any country where he was approved. Some went to Iran and some to Pakistan. Some are from Canada, some are from Europe.
Those who didn’t leave the country ran to the banks. I am one of them. But before my shift, an order was received stating that the beneficiary could not withdraw large sums of money. I returned home. In a day and a half, everything changed.
Salim Manji, who works in the social sector, said in fluent English that the Taliban are like a husband who must instill fear in his wife immediately after marriage, even if the wife is already scared.
On his arrival he arrested many people, charging both true and false. Many people were killed at the crossroads. My house is on a moving road. While he was delivering punishment, he wanted the crowd to see him. Let the rebels learn their lessons and let the weak at heart become strong. When I returned home after seeing the shelling at the intersection, I could hear the screams of the dead. But I have become stronger. After that, he saw many murders, but he was not afraid.
What else has changed?
‘everything. ‘This time the voice thousands of miles away seemed to come from another world. “The laughter and the good gossip disappeared from the market. The women disappeared. There were checkpoints everywhere and Taliban soldiers stood there with rifles. Their job was to spy on people. If a woman or even an older girl was seen there was no Wear a veil, then punish them. If you see someone laughing, be warned. Humming is forbidden as it arouses men.
Mannequins decorated in shops had their heads chopped off because it was against religion.
But in the news, only women’s portraits were removed!
They are not removed, just covered so that the shape of the body cannot be seen. Mannequins with their faces uncovered and wearing breathable clothing can also change people’s beliefs. Male mannequins were decapitated. In the shop I go to for a shave, the top half of the poster is covered in ink. The face and new hairstyle should not be visible. Beards can also be groomed in some way. There are no new fads.
During the Republic (the elected government before the Taliban), there would be crowds in parks and markets on Fridays. People used to eat honey galebis and asak with their families. We would laugh and joke with each other. It all stopped. Eating Crispy Jabelis makes noise that can distract those around you.
Women cannot eat street food because that would take their hands or mouths out of purdah. There are some restaurants where they can go to eat, but only if a guardian (sometimes they call him Mahram, the woman’s family) is present.
There are many gardens, large and small, in the city, but women are not allowed to go there. First, they were separated from us the next day. She would go Monday through Wednesday and the rest of us would go every day. Then they were banned outright. The Taliban say nudity naturally interacts poorly with women.
Salim also tells more about the moral police.
In fact, this country has a department—the moral and intellectual department. Its only job is to control women. They kept issuing new orders on what women could and could not do. For example, if you see men and women of the same age roaming together, you will first ask about their relationship, and if you are not satisfied, you will also ask about their ID cards. If that doesn’t work, family members are called. If the relationship is not between husband and wife, father and daughter, brother and sister, punishment is certain.
The women in my family haven’t gone for three walks in three years. She goes to the hospital and sometimes to relatives. The daughters are going to school, but a year later they will also be sitting at home.
Why? How old is your daughter?
Eleven. It’s twins.
They are too small. So why are you still sitting at home?
As soon as I got home two days ago, my daughter said: Dad, we will graduate this year. Our trainer said you don’t need to come to school starting next year. she chirped as she spoke. He didn’t even know what it meant. She didn’t know that from now on, her path to the outside world would be closed. My wife is a graduate but she is not allowed to work.
Under the Taliban regime, there were only a handful of careers available to women. She can be a teacher. Or do a little more work. Yes, they can work from home however they want, but only if women are their customers. Such as beauty salon. All beauty salons in Kabul have been closed. But the work is done at home. Women do it all together.
And a doctor? There are still women in this industry!
Yes, it’s there now. The doctors and nurses who were there during the Republic are still there. They also have to work under many restrictions. Who knows what will happen if this batch is retired or dies. I’m from the social sector. I know that in some areas, patients suffer even from minor ailments due to lack of knowledgeable doctors.
According to the religion, non-men cannot even see women, let alone touch them. How can there be treatment without education? Girls can study until age 12 or sixth grade. After some time they got married.
My daughters were also advised to have relationships. One of them had a cleft palate. Had surgery but had the same diet as the bird. A skinny girl was running around the house. I can’t imagine what will happen to her after she gets married! Neat English trembled for the first time.
Why don’t you go abroad like everyone else?
If you could have left, you would have left. Have tried it before. No one gives visas now. Before the Taliban, he had also come to India for a medical expedition. The door there is closed now too. We can go to Iran, but to them we are nothing but cheap labor. Even our children do not have access to formal education.
We are getting used to it. I’ve adapted a lot in three years. But it’s a habit that has no end. The Taliban will turn us from bones to water.
That was a few days ago. After returning from the office, I started listening to music on my phone. In the car, my head was probably bobbing to the beat. The policeman at the checkpoint became suspicious. He hit me with the butt of his gun. When I got home, I walked straight. Unable to tell the daughters that their father was beaten for listening to the song. Theaters in Kabul have long been closed. But now I can’t listen to music even in a closed car.
As he hung up the phone, the father of twin girls promised me to speak to a single woman, adding – she would ask her brother and talk to him.
Why?
Because it is illegal to do anything without a patron (Mahram). The conversation ended with a scathing reply. The chat history was deleted that night. This indicated that the woman did not have permission.
(Read the story of a Taliban commander in the next issue. This man was a teacher during the Republic and is now the head of intelligence, and his job is to monitor the boiling land and minds. He also tells this story about his profession Danger.)
