Note: Hoda Khamoush along with some of her comrades had a central role in shaping the protesting movements against the Taliban when the group seized Kabul. She practically advocated for the right of education, work and civil rights and freedom of women and girlscalle. To do so, she called on other girls and women to stand beside her and encouraged them to protest and she finally formed a movement named “Movement of Afghan Justice Seeker Women”. She currently leads the movement along with some other women. She was invited to Slow Conference on January 2021 as the representative of the women’s rights protesters and clearly outlined the demands of the Afghan civil society and women activists in her speech at the conference. The conference was held just when some protesting girls were imprisoned by the Taliban and calling Mawlaw Mottaqi the Acting Minister of Taliban told him: Release immediately the protesting girls. According to BBC, Mawlawi Mottaqi called on Kabul during the conference and urged the relevant authorities to purse it. Hoda Khmaosh was on the 2022 Time 100 List. She is a poet and her published works include “I Kiss You” and “Spilled Virginity”.
In this interview, you will be familiar with her struggles and goals.
Adela Azin: How did you start your struggles after Taliban seized power in the country?
Hoda Khamosh:Those days, were bitter and deathful days. Everyone was going to the airport. And Taliban restrictive directions were broadcasted widely to place women in a framework, then women stood up. When Taliban announced their cabinet, we noticed the total elimination of women from the political and social structures. As a result, Herat women came to the streets chanting, “don’t be scared, don’t be scared, we are all together”. And all women, being in different groups, we showed up our presence and joined the protests in the next day to the surrendered society by Taliban based on women elimination and it was the only reason not to let them to eliminate and ignore us.
Adela Azin: Were Taliban the same as your mental image?
Hoda Khamosh: I was a child during the first government of the Taliban and had heard of their violence toward women during that period. As a result, when women were forced to stay at home, I was afraid to go back with a generation and to be targeted for elimination from all the scenes. The mental image I had of the Taliban was realized when they seized power and it made me not keep silent and must have stood beside men and women to raise their voices.
Adela Azin; How “the Justice movement” was formed?
Hoda Khamosh: We were formed of small groups and came to the streets. When the situation intensified and the restrictions increased, we could not go out of home. Thus we decided to continue our struggles and protests through social media against the Taliban’s tyranny.
Adela Azin: What threats did you face during the protests?
Hoda Khamosh: They posed various limitations on the way of the movements. These restrictions range from preventing women by tear gas, using pepper spray, and electric shock to imprisoning women and psychological torture. They used profanity language and even followed women to doors of their homes, but women continued their struggles.
Adela Azin: What is the current situation of the women’s movement?
Hoda Khamosh: Movements are stable and we pursue new approaches to overcome women problems. Now the resistance is stronger and bigger than before against the Taliban and its roots have been extended to the borders of distanced countries and I am optimistic about it.
Adela Azin: How do you assess the current political situation of the country?
Hoda Khamosh: There are no good conditions and policy in Afghanistan politics after the collapse of the republic and submitting the country to the Taliban. Taliban even could not find a way to be recognized during the last year. They do not want a modern Afghanistan with the presence of women. I believe if such situation continues, we would face further political and civil deadlock and reversal would be very challenging.
Adela Azin: How do you assess the Taliban approach to women’s rights?
As their approach has been assessed in the past, they want to further isolate women and have implemented restrictive policies on women in terms of their presence in society and they pursue to eliminate them from society fully.
Adela Azin: What achievements have Afghan women rights advocates had so far?
Hoda Khamosh:To show the real face of the Taliban to the world, that the group has not changed, is one of our major achievements. We could show through our advocacy to the world that our society is imprisoned in order to prevent their further atrocities on the people. Our ultimate achievement would be when we cut off the feet of the Taliban from Afghanistan.
Adela Azin: How are the women movements and in general women struggles in Afghanistan?
Hoda Khamosh: The image I have from women is that they have stood up for their rights and have advocated to ensure them. It means women have reached self awareness and it is the path to transform from a traditional and patriarchal society to a modern one. They struggle with different ideas and decisions and work hard to find a new approach for presence in the society.
Adela Azin: What the history will write about the women of our era some years later?
Hoda Khamosh: We will leave the lessons of not quitting, rejecting oppression and standing against the oppression to the next generations of Afghanistan. The history will write about the struggles of Afghan women and it will be one of those things that remains in the history. I hope the big day of victory arrives and have a free Afghanistan with the sacrifices Afghan women have made to achieve it.
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