Rabia Balkhi (Fake Name)
Translated by: Mohammad Sakhi Rezaie
Taliban have increasingly suppressed Afghan citizens, especially Afghan women. As an eye witness I write what has happened to women under the Taliban rule ib Balkh province.
I worked as a midwife in Mazar e Sharif before Taliban take control of Afghanistan. However, When Taliban took the control of the country I lost my job as many other women did.
On the second day, after Taliban took power, I decided to go to work. But I was sure Taliban will not allow me to work, but did not want to surrender to them. As a result, nothing unusual happened on the first day. I visited three pregnant women and had a good day. I had decided to talk with some women about “Pre-pregnancy health care”. I wore hejab and a long dress from the head to the toe, and left the home. I went to work with passion and no fear of the cruel ruler. But my happiness did not last much and Taliban had sealed off my office and after second two disheveled men appeared in front of me. One of them asked me, “aren’t you aware of our restriction on women?” I told them “it is part of health system and women need me. Please, allow me to work.” They looked at each other, and then told me “no one can ignore our laws and we do not allow women under 40 to work in private clinics.” The much I asked them the more they rejected. And from that moment, the darks days of my life started. They had closed the door of my dreams and I could not open it. I left the clinic while just my eyes were full of tears. Each day, being locked in a house, and benign banned to help women, added to my pains.
On September 4’2021, an announcement was posted on social media by women’s rights protestors condemning Taliban for recruiting Pakistani diplomats in Afghanistan public offices. I wanted to participate in the demonstration but my family strongly opposed it. But I was in contact with my friends through WhatsApp groups. It was the biggest protesting gathering against the Taliban in Mazar e Sharif, about 70 women , girls and boys, participated in it. It was a peaceful protest and the participants demanded their basic rights. But it was suppressed by Taliban, 40 boys and girls, were detained by Taliban.
Taliban had threatened the reporters if they report it, they will risk their life. As a result, it was not reported and after four or five months, detained women disclosed some details of it with the media.
Sakina (fake name) was my colleague. We worked in a private clinic and lost our jobs after the Taliban take over. Salima participated in the protest and was detained by Taliban. She was in custody for two months and was mistreated and tortured in custody. When Sakina was released on the bail, I met with her at their home. She told me the sad story of her and other women and girls in the custody. She was in a bad mood. “We were in a room that smelled of blood. There were 20 girls in our room but we did not know where the other girls were. A woman tortured and whipped us and shocked us with electric. We were sexually abused by Taliban for several times.” Her body was black and bruised, showing she had been severely tortured. She said “Women were tortured during the days and nights in the custody and we heard the screams of women tortured in the next room. Three of my colleagues died under torture before my eyes.”
Sakina had a sad experience of the prison. I suggested her to publish her story; but her brother strongly disagreed with me. “Our case is ours. Could you remove the stigma by publishing it on media?” He asked me. I told him, if we do not disclose the cruelty Sakina had undergone, it would be a further oppression on her. Then, Sakina’s brother insulted me and made me leave their home. I heard the news of her murder after passing one week. Sakina’s brother had shot and killed her to remove the stigma from their family. He not only was not punished for murdering her sister, but was appointed as an official in the Taliban administration.
Nargis (fake name), was one of the other protestors who remained in custody for 3 days. After releasing her, Taliban had encouraged her to marry on of their members; but Nargis had refused the marriage proposal. The, after two days, a Taliban member forcibly married Nargis. Nargis was 22 years old and studied economy in a private institute of higher education. Her mother says she has not seen her daughter for several months and she does not know whether Nargis is alive or dead.
In October 25, 2021, the dead bodies of four civil society activists, two of the were men, and the dead bodies of 2 former ANSF were discovered in Tangi Shadyan. The identities of these people were not shared with media. One of the reasons Taliban announce such cases, is that their families do not dare to share them with media.
In October 27, 2021, the dead bodies of five civil society activists were found in Sharak Khalid bin Walid. Forozan Safi was one of the victims, a former civil society activist and university lecturer and Maryam Hmaraz was another victim, the chairperson of a cultural institution of the former government. But only the identity of Maryam Safi was shared with the media.
According to my information, although Maryam Safi was the chairperson of a cultural institution of the former government, she had not participated in the protests against the Taliban. It is not clear why Forozan and other three civil society activists were killed.
In December 28, 2021, local sources in Balkh told the media that armed men killed Habiba ,21, in Nawabad of Mazar e Sharif. Abulai Sina Balkhi hospital authorities confirmed that the body of the victim had been transferred to the hospital. However, the truth is that Habiba was killed by Taliban.
Habiba was the only daughter of her family. She had already lost her father only had an ill mother. According to the local sources Habiba worked in Rahnaward hospital before Taliban retake control of the country. But She had been fired by Taliban. Taliban also had threatened other employees of Rahnaward hospital.
When Habiba lost her job in the hospital, she found a job in a beauty salon in Mazar. In the morning of December 27, while she had been in a vehicle with her two friends, and amrmed shot and killed her in Yakatoot of Zeraat, Mazar e Sharif.
In the continuation of the mysterious murders, In April 1, 2021, Taliban killed a midwife and her co-worker in Mazar e Sharif.
Nafisa was 23 years old and Mohammad Ghulam, her colleague, worked in a clinic in Alichpan of Mazar e Sahrif. Mohamd Ghulam was the pharmacist of the mentioned clinic.
They had been stopped in a checkpoint by Taliban in Mazar e Sharif, and they had been tortured and killed with a knife and shot and killed by the Taliban forces.
Eye in Eye with Taliban; Words against Whips and Gun
On the morning of October 3, Mazar city looks as if there has been a coup date in the city. Taliban had positioned a military vehicles on all streets and their fighters were on any corner; in fact, there was no coup date or suicide attack. We had protested Kaaj suicide attack, which killed 58 and wounded 126. I and some other protesting women distributed the notices of protest on social media. We protested the deliberate killing of Hazaras, widespread violations of women’s rights, exclusion from vital social structures, and girls’ ban from school. The military face of the city showed how much the Taliban feared women.
We had planned to start the demonstration from Balkh University, but the Taliban had discovered it and had surrounded the university and imprisoned the girl students in their hostels. So, we changed our plan. We protected our slogans in our sleeves and could pass the Taliban checkpoints.
It was around 9 O’clock that we started the protest; about 50 women and girls had participated in the protest. 6 Balkh university boy students had participated in the protest as well. After one year of Taliban rule, it was the first time that men were beside us to support us.
We started chanting stop Hazaras genocide on the streets. The streets were full of men, and many of the insulted and belittled us. Taliban were afraid of us as if we had attacked them with guns and artilleries
While we only had papers in our hands which our slogans were written on them.
Tens of Taliban armed men had surrounded us in the center of the city. First, Taliban tried to detain the boys but they could escape the scene. A Taliban fighter approached us and asked, what is your problem that you keep shouting on the streets? Then he said, you are women and you shall be at home. I as the representative of the protesters told him, let us read our statement, and you shall listen to our protest as the representative of the government. The Taliban fighter pointed his gun barrel on me, but I started reading the statement denouncing the girl education and work ban and genocide of Hazaras. I had read half of the statement, but the angry Taliban fighter told me, I will fire if you continue reading it. I continued reading some words, but the Taliban commander hit with the gun on my head. I stopped reading the statement as my colleagues begged me to do so. “Don’t move” the Taliban fighter said. I had predicted that they will torture and prosecute us. I felt a bitter fear in my throat. “What is our fault you keep us here and imprison us” I asked. “We had a peaceful demonstration and it is over now. We shall go home right away.” I stated. “You do not know us. We will behead anyone who want to act against us.” One of the Taliban said. “Wait here, beside the road.” He said. After some moments, Badri Unit of Taliban, which its members include the suicides arrived. “Have we used guns and artilleries against you that you asked for Badri troops to be deployed here?” I asked. “We have nothing but some pieces of papers.” I said. “We are the enemy of the prostitutes like you, and you shall die; because all evils are under your feet and you have incited these people to protest.” Another Taliban member said. The Taliban commander told us to go the police department. “No, we go home.” I said. Badri forces approached us, and made us to go the police station while hitting us with the whips and guns barrels. When we were forcibly moved to the police station, we lost our hope to be released. It was where Frozan Safi and tens of other girls were brought here, and some of them were killed and some others are disappeared yet. First, some Taliban members collected our phones. Then, they noted our names, home addresses, and other information on a piece of paper “You are women, and your men are cowards that allow you to be alive.” They repeatedly said.
I felt pain in my head because of the stroke on my head. “Please let us go.” I begged the Taliban commander, we cannot stand on our feet. “Do not say anything, you prostitute, we have a lot to do with you!” One of the Taliban said.
After staying for three hours in the police station, facing psychological torture, investigations, and searching our phones, Taliban released us. They made us to delete all the photos and videos we had taken from the protest. They took the information of all girls and women who had participated in the demonstration. I had already had the sensitive contacts before going to the demonstration. When I reached home, my mother looked very nervous because I had participated in the demonstration and my phone was off for 3 hours. After speaking with mother, I checked my messenger and it was full of Taliban threats. As Taliban had taken our information from our mobiles, they had detailed information about us.
My brothers came home at night. When they saw me, they asked me why I had participated in demonstration. “I heard you have been detained?” one of my brothers said. “Yes, we our detained for 3 hours.” I replied. “If I was the Taliban member, I would have shot and killed you in order not to dare to do so.” He said, instead of embracing me and sympathizing with me. When I heard this, I my tears started running without anyone notices and felt disappointed too much. I had run out of city form Taliban fear, but where could I go from the Taliban mentality my brother had. I went to my bed room and checked the social media. One of the girls had written on WhatsApp that Mortaza Karimi had been disappeared. He was one of the journalism faculty students who had participated in the demonstration. He is disappeared yet. Hossain Karimi, a simple laborer, had gone to the Taliban police chief office to ask them to release Karimi, they had beaten him up and killed him.
Talban prosecute the protesters after any protests. They gained more information about us from our mobiles’ we are now under prosecution; and our crime is advocating peacefully as our basic right.
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