It was 4.00 am. I rip the page off the calendar. The date circled in red stares back at me. March 8th – International Women’s Day. For many, it is speeches, applause, and empowerment. For us, it means nothing. I smirk at the irony.
Do they fathom what it’s like to be a woman here?
Where I reside, a woman is a shadow that follows, mute because her tongue is severed if she dares to speak and blind because her eyes are gouged out if she dares to seek. And yet she lives, not for herself, but for her dear ones.
Living is a far cry from being alive.
This changes today. I promise myself.
XXX
We were once a peaceful settlement cradled by crystalline mountains. Peaks that spoke in whispers with the fading stars blushed aurum when kissed by the sun. A perennial river flowed, incessant like the bosom of a postpartum mother. Here, the air was fragrant and the ground fertile. We took from the earth and gave back to nature. There was a balance in our lives, in our practices, and in our relationships. We worked hard and prayed for the well-being of all. Allah had blessed us with peace and contentment.
The downfall began on that day in the month of Ramzan when the visitors came seeking refuge. From whom? We didn’t ask. Who were they? We didn’t need to know. We saw brethren in need. We welcomed them with open arms.
That day, the winds transformed, and dust swirled.
Perhaps Allah issued a warning?
Their numbers gradually grew. We continued to provide because the resources belonged to Allah, and the Quran stated that sharing is a sign of faith.
The air shifted when their interaction with our men blossomed. They claimed to be true followers of Islam. They spoke of rich lands, of wealth, and of the need to disseminate faith.
“Join us in our quest; in return, we promise the blessings of Allah. Money and power will follow.”
Didn’t we have enough already?
Many of our men left for a religious expedition. That’s what we believed.
“It is our turn to reciprocate, to care and provide,” they said, and we gladly permitted them to. The visitors were now everywhere, in marketplaces, in the administration, and in the government.
They were now powerful, and we were outnumbered.
Once they tasted power, they became hungry for more. To stay in power, they had to break our social structure beyond resurrection. They aimed at the foundation; they targeted the women.
“Wearing a hijab is mandatory when you step out of the house—no skin show!”
When we protested, they gave terrifying reasons. “Flaunting your skin means seeking attention,” they said with hungry eyes.
We consented unwillingly. But children? 10, 12-year-olds? What was their fault?
Twisted philosophies and decrees followed.
“Music and dance are only for tawaifs.”
“Walk with your head low.”
“No loud laughter.”
We obeyed, hoping things would change when our men returned.
Not all, but some of them did. They were now disillusioned and aggressive. Our men had transformed into them—the Tal*b*n.
“The Quran states that men are superior. Women must follow orders, or the consequences will be dire,” they repeated like brainwashed parrots.
Sadly, youngsters were being mentally conditioned to accept these proclamations as true. A distorted version of the Quran was being taught at the Masjid to authenticate the fallacy.
“Sharia law says women are subservient, not equals.”
“Women will leave the house only with a male companion.”
“No woman will travel alone; not for medicines, not for groceries.”
“Households with no men will become the responsibility of the Tal*b*n..”
“The punishment for defiance will be fifty lashes.”
Punishments were a spectacle on public grounds. When flesh peeled, they sneered. When we screamed, they guffawed.
People were forced to watch.
“Witness your future if you dare to disagree.”
They soon ruled the whole of Afghanistan. They desired to eradicate a thinking society. They targeted education.
“Girls will no longer go to school. Stay at home. Cook, clean, and care.”
XXX
I never stopped teaching. I taught about equal rights, about injustice. Girls came with fear, with books hidden, with resolve.
“Books speak, they enlighten, and they allow you to dream. A book is my best friend,” the girls repeated after me.
They noticed. Schools were destroyed.
When asked not to speak, I wrote to newspapers, international magazines, and anyone who cared to listen.
They issued warnings. Bullets were fired to decapacitate but never to annihilate.
Who would do their menial tasks if all the women were gone?
The valley witnessed the drying up of her womb. She protested by discarding the green and donning the grey. The echoes of gunshots became lullabies to the women resting in her soil. The breeze heaved the whispers of the elegy along.
Years went by. The world noticed.
The Tal*b*n. was now seeking international validation. The BBC was invited for an exclusive on International Women’s Day. The security was tight, information was guarded, and an eyewash was prepared.
I was no longer ready to postpone.
xxx
5.30 am.
It is time.
At Fajr, when the city is least guarded, and the men bow to pray, the BBC will expect me for a live expose on television.
I will no longer whisper, I will thunder.
Today, I will either redeem the women of Afghanistan or die trying.
Glossary
Tawaif – Courtesan
Hijab -A head covering
Sharia law -The body of Islamic religious law based on the Quran
Fajr- Time of first prayer, usually between 5.35-5.45 am
They/ their – Refers to the Tal*b*n.
Author’s note:
This story is a work of fiction and is written based on information available on the internet.
There is no intention to disregard any religion, religious principle or belief.
The Sharia law does not promote inequality. The Quran says men and women are created from the same soul.
Quran 49:13, 3:195, 16:97, 4:124 preach that men and women are equal and will get the same rewards for righteousness.
The Quran 33:53 does mention the hijab – as a curtain for the Prophet’s wives. The focus is on modest clothing rather than a particular type of dress and this is applicable to both men and women.
2:256 of the Quran says there is no compulsion. Islamic moderates suggest that a woman’s choice to either wear the hijab or not wear it must be respected.
– source google, wikipedia
– Picture credit – Unsplash.
