"Paid the fare not with money but with their daughter-in-law..." Afghans told what they expect from the Taliban*

The Afghans have lost almost everything overnight that they have fought for over the past twenty years.

Those who could not leave this country found themselves in a particularly difficult situation, and now they will be forced to follow the laws set by the Taliban terrorists. First of all, this applies to women, journalists and intellectuals who practice a secular lifestyle. In their memory, the Taliban already ruled the country in the late 1990s, and the rule was very brutal. Now, many Afghans may lose not only basic rights, but also the gains in the public sphere of recent years.

“The men were forced to grow beards. Women wear burqas, flowing clothing that covers the entire face and body. Girls' schools were closed. Women who were unaccompanied in public places could be beaten. Football was banned. And with him and music, except for religious chants. The Taliban government carried out public executions at the Gazi stadium in Kabul, describes the reality of the first Taliban regime in the Washington Post . - The outside world periodically looked into the country (although photography was technically prohibited). There was a video in which an Afghan mother was forced to kneel in the stadium and shot between the goalposts. There were photographs of ancient Buddhist statues destroyed by the Taliban because their leaders considered the stone images to be a tribute to idolatry. A sea of refugees and internally displaced persons living in makeshift tent cities throughout the region".

The Politico edition cites the story of an Afghan journalist from Kabul, who is now forced into hiding with his family. According to him, this is what was happening in the capital of Afghanistan when the Taliban entered it:

“The city is full of panic and fear. It is now curfew, so the streets of Kabul are completely empty and quiet. So many journalists call me. I am afraid for their lives. For me and thousands of others, this is the worst night of my life. This [the Taliban's lightning seizure of power] happened contrary to everyone's expectations. We thought the Americans wouldn't leave us - which seems to be happening right now. I am trying to find a way to escape. Now I'm in a position like I have a big target on my back. If I said:

"I'm not afraid", - would be lying. The US must act decisively. They must be consistent and firmly say to the Taliban: "You cannot kill people". This should be discussed very decisively and extremely seriously. Afghan journalists can continue to broadcast, but not as extensively as usual. Many media outlets were turned off; even now, not all of them work. People fled to their homes, and there they remain. I entrust my fate to the Almighty. Because I can't trust anyone else. "

The AR news agency told the story of 26-year-old Zahra from Herat, the third largest city in Afghanistan, which militants took control on August 12. For almost her entire life, she grew up in a country free from Taliban rule, "where women dared to dream of a career, and girls were educated". For the past five years, the girl has collaborated with local civil society organizations that have raised women's awareness of their rights and advocated for gender equality.

About a month ago, she stopped going to the office, working remotely - the Taliban fighters were approaching Herat - but now she has lost this opportunity too. After the Taliban entered the city, the young woman, along with her mother and numerous brothers and sisters, took refuge at home without going outside.

“I'm in a huge shock", - she says. "How is it possible that I - a woman who worked so hard, tried to learn and succeed - now have to hide and stay at home?" Zahra says that now her 12-year-old sister, who liked to study, will not be able to go to school, that her older brother will no longer be able to play football, and she herself will not be able to play the guitar openly.

Not long before the capture of Kabul, Zarmina Kakar, a local activist in the field of women's rights, shared her emotions with the AR. She was the year the Taliban first entered Kabul in 1996. From her childhood, the woman remembers the episode when, during the first reign of the Taliban, members of the movement beat her mother for opening her face for a few minutes while buying ice cream for little Zarmina. “Today I feel again that if the Taliban come to power, we will return to those dark days. It seems to me that we are like a bird that in vain builds its nest, giving it all its strength, but then suddenly and helplessly forced to watch as others destroy it. "

And the British The Guardian cites the incredible story of a 24-year-old student at one of the universities in Kabul (her name is not disclosed for security reasons), which explains what the return of the Taliban to power for the women of Afghanistan. She learned that the Taliban had entered Kabul on the morning of August 15, when she was going to the university for classes: she met a group of frightened female students from the dormitory who were trying to escape or hide at home amid the news of the arrival of the Taliban - a beating threatened everyone who would not be wearing a veil...

“We all wanted to go home, but could not use public transport. The drivers did not let us in because they did not want to take responsibility for transporting the woman (the Taliban do not allow women to move and travel alone).

Meanwhile, the men standing around laughed at the girls and women, making fun of the horror that gripped us. “Go put on your veil”, - one of them shouted. “These are your last days on the street,” another threatened. “One day I will marry four of you at once,” said the third.

Meanwhile, the girl had almost completed her education and was close to receiving degrees from two of the best universities in Afghanistan. “In November, I was supposed to graduate from the American University of Afghanistan and Kabul University. Now it looks like I will have to burn everything that I have achieved in 24 years of my life. It is risky to have a student ID or an American University award now; even if we save them, we still won't be able to use them. There is no work for us in Afghanistan now".

According to the student, the first thing she and her sister did after returning home after the news of the capture of Kabul by the Taliban was to hide diplomas, certificates and student certificates. "It was terrible. Why should we hide something to be proud of? From now on, in Afghanistan, we are not allowed to be who we are. It seems that I will no longer be able to laugh out loud, listen to my favorite songs, meet friends at our favorite cafe, wear my favorite yellow dress or pink lipstick. And I will no longer be able to go to work or get the university degree for which I worked for years. " The student says that in order to get an education in her youth, she had to earn extra money by weaving, but no financial problems could compare with the ability to make plans for the future.

The girl also conveys the words of her sister, who, after the arrival of the Taliban in the capital, left her office workplace with tears in her eyes: "I knew this was the last day of my work."

“When I heard that the Taliban had reached Kabul, I felt that I was now doomed to become a slave. They can play my life however they want, ”the girl concludes.

The student also said that in the last days before the seizure of Kabul, she helped refugee families who were looking for shelter in the capital for their daughters and wives. Some of them paid a heavy price for this.

“I could not help crying when I heard the stories of some families. In one of them, they lost their son in the war, and did not have the money to pay for a taxi to Kabul - so they gave their daughter-in-law in exchange for transport. How can a woman's value be equal to the cost of a trip? All I could see around me were the frightened and fearful faces of women and the ugly faces of men who hated women, did not want them to get an education, work and have freedom. Instead of standing by our side, they support the Taliban and give them even more power. "

The Economist tells the story of a retired teacher named Abdul from Kandahar, who, with the arrival of the Taliban, decided to hide his books. There are no libraries in Kandahar, which until recently was a key location for American troops, and Abdul was a member of the book club - local people exchanged literature, including foreign authors. His personal library contains books on psychology, essays on politics and terrorism. With the arrival of the Taliban, such literature is dangerous.

“Even such simple pleasures as reading were at risk,” the newspaper explains. - The author of one of his books on fundamentalism was killed in Kabul a few weeks ago. Abdul owns a collection of books by Kandahar's most famous poet, Abdul Bari Jahani, who now lives in America. The last time the Taliban ruled, his books were banned".

Abdul decided that hiding his library was the safest option. “I don’t want to risk it if the Taliban take over Kandahar and ransack my home", - he told the newspaper before taking the city. Whatever the official policy of the Taliban regarding such books, Abdul fears that his personal fate will depend on the whim of anyone who might break into his house. “If they don’t like my books or what I keep in my house, they can instantly take my life”, - he says of the customs of the Taliban.

* Terrorist organization banned in Russia