By: Adel Azin Nazari
Translated by: Mohammad Rezaie
It was 27 August 2020. and Ruqeia Saai had a ceremony of reciting the Holy Quran at her home for the first anniversary of the death of her husband. Suddenly, there was a Rumer that Taliban had captured Kabul and raised their flag on the top of “Chehel Dukhtaran” mountain. When the guests heard the news, all of them left the house and dispersed. People whispered saying everyone was going to the airport and evacuation was going on. The news of Taliban takeover, was like a clock bomb that was exploding in her mind every second. Taliban had killed her husband one year ago. Taliban had passed from villages and cities to Kabul by killing the people ruthlessly and looting their properties. Saai’s husband was a 2nd lieutenant in Afghanistan Air Force. He had served for 11 years in AAF. He had been injured on Kabul-Paktia highway while he was on duty and he died due to severe injuries inflicting by the attack. Saai accuses the republic government of not paying enough attention for treatment of her husband, he had been hospitalized in Paktia central hospital and when he did not recover, he had returned home. Then, he was terminated and finally passed away on 27 August 2020. Saai says Taliban injured her wife and republic government sacked him. “These two caused his death.” She says. After his death, Saai and her two children were left alone.
When the cabinet of the Taliban government was formed, it replaced Ministry for Women with Ministry for propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice, this decision changed Saai to a protesting woman. She already had suffered a lot when she had lost her husband, and the new decision of Taliban added to her pains. As a result, she had to do something. Thus, She and some other girls took to the streets against Taliban. Saai has protested against restricting edicts of Taliban on women’s rights along with other women’s rights protestors. After women’s rights movements were established, Saai and Zarifa Yaqubi and some other women’s rights protestors formed “Afghanistan Women Movement for Equality” on October 4, 2022. Zarifa Yaqubi and her four coworkers, 4 young male civil society actors and media activists, were detained in Kabul after they had participated in the inauguration ceremony of “Afghanistan Women Movement for Equality”. On gone earlier to the conference venue of the meeting and then she had called Zarif Yaqubi in order to know where she was and Yaqubi had told her she was in the police district office and the security officials do not permit formation of “Afghanistan Women Movement for Equality”. Then Yaqubi asks Saai to guide the guests to the venue of the meeting. “Taliban had come to the meeting and did not allow media to enter the gathering. Taliban forces were such equipped that one thought they had come to suppress the republic. There were about 19 or 20 ranger vehicles. The program was going on when Veild female Taliban entered the gathering. According to Saai, female Taliban collected the cell phones of female participants and checked them. When Saai resisted, one of the female Taliban slapped her on the face, and then took Yaqubi and four other participants to Taliban intelligence and then moved them to Directorate 40. Ms. Yaqubi and her 4 media co-workers were imprisoned for 40 days.
On Aprill 19, 2022, suicide bombings killed many boys and girls school children in Abdul Rahim Shahid school, west of Kabul. Saai and a number of other rights activists rushed to donate blood to the victims. But Taliban attacked them and did not allow them to donate blood. She said Taliban acted brutally and even beat the families of the victims. After that, Saai and a number of other rights activists protested against the harsh behavior of the Taliban and following it, Taliban suppressed them.
When suicide bombers attacked Kaaj educational Center, Saai and Yaqubi rushed to Mohammad Ali Jenah hospital to donate blood. But Taliban did not allow them to do so. Taliban even did not allow the victims’ families to receive their injured and killed members. Again, Saai and Yaqubi staged a protest against Taliban but they were suppressed. “It was a very painful day. I never forget it. Taliban did not respect our dead and alive.” Saai says.
On the last days of October, 2022, when Taliban expelled about 100 Hazara students from Kabul university, Saai and her comrades filed a lawsuit against Taliban in front of Kabul University and Taliban suppressed it with firing in the air, beating the protestors and using tear gas. On December 19, 2022, Ruqeia Saai, Zarifa Yaqubi and other protesting girls took to the streets to protest against the edict on women education and work ban edict in Chahar Rahi Dehbori and again Taliban beat them and dispersed their protest. “They had decided to take some girls with themselves. We all fled the scene. I saw myself Taliban grabbed they hair of two girls and forced them to ride on a ranger vehicle. It was a terrible scene. No body could help. I took a taxi. We went a little forward. But the Taliban ranger blocked our way. Taliban told me to get off the taxi. They searched my bag.” Saai says. Then Taliban took Saai’s smart phone by force and check it. After searching her smart phone, Taliban says ” She is a western spy and is a prostitute.”
Saai hardly could contact other women’s rights protesting girls, and one of them tells Saai that a number of the girls have been detained by Taliban. After this, Taliban takes her phone, grabs her hair and wants to force her to get on the ranger vehicle. But Saai resists, and asks the people to help her. But nobody helps her. Taliban beats her and puts her in a ranger vehicle and puts a black sack on her and Saai tells them “I can’t breathe. I told you that I am not a terrorist. I am not a criminal too. The handcuff is enough”. Ms. Saai’s hands were injured from the rubbing of handcuffs, have not healed well yet. Taliban moves her to the second police district office and asks her who she works for and where does she receive money from and how she has received for organizing the protest? She tells the Taliban fighters that “Money is not the issue. You have taken all of our rights. You have victimized the people.” Saai continues saying her husband has been a former member of the national security forces and he has passed away and she has two children and she has to work to feed them. This incites Taliban, one of them slaps her and the other kick her and they tell her “You are a prostitute who comes to streets, and you have sold yourselves to the west.” After some minutes, Taliban takes her to another room and then moves her to an unknown place. There, in addition to beating Saai, Taliban threatens her to stoning and death. Saai loses hope and thought she would be killed. “I was not afraid of death. But I was worried about my honor.” She says. When her father was informed, he comes with a number of elders and members of their family and releases her on a bail conditioned to not protesting again. Taliban forces her to confess and promise to take no actions against Taliban. Although, Saai had accepted to keep silent by force, she had lost her peace and was having nightmares. She was silent for the cause of her children and family members and could say nothing.
“First time, I was detained at 11: AM, and I was in detention center until afternoon. Then they put a black sack on my head and took me to an unknown place and kept her there for 3 nights. “On the first night they investigated a lot. I had access to nothing: neither to a lawyer nor to my family. I kept saying I had not taken money from no one. I only protest to my rights” Saai says. But they kept beating me with a rough pipe. She was on her period when she was detained. But she had access to no hygiene. After that I got very sick. It was really terrible.” Saai says.
This time, Saai kept silent and only participated in protest in closed places with covered face. Days and months passed, and the new educational year started. But girl students above grade 6 were not allowed to go to school. Saai says it was in the morning of one of the days after new educational year, and I met a neighboring girl who talked of school while crying sadly. Saai, after soothing her, suggest her to take online courses.
At this time, girls’ protestors were coordinated and took to the streets again. The protestors had planned to start their march from Shahid Mazari Square to Asif Maeil school and read their statement there. But Ms. Saai was detained for the second time by Taliban. She was one of the leading women who had organized the protest and was holding a loud speaker and was chanting when Taliban ambushed at the protestors. Other girls were released earlier. But Taliban took her to the sixth police district. At the same time, Fatima and Malalai, two other women’s rights protestors, were arrested too. “They asked me the same questions. How much money have you received? Who do you work for? I don’t know where they had received the information that it was the second time that I protest and have been detained.” Saai says. Taliban was ordered to take me to Directorate 40 and then move her to an unknown place where some other girls were imprisoned too. She was interrogated again in Directorate 40. When her family were informed, they along with Elders of Barchi went to visit her in the prison. “It was Ramdan month and they had brought my children and had released me on bail conditioned to not to take to the street again.” She says. This time, Taliban told Saai if she takes part in any protest, they are free to execute any order on her and she must sign it. She was released after 24 hours. But she had been tortured severely. “I was confused. A Taliban fighter kicked at my back and told me get up! A number of your scoundrels have come and guaranteed you.” Saai says. Saai was silent after she was detained for three times. Although she had promised herself, she must never surrender to Taliban. “After I was released from Directorate 40, my body was free; but my soul wasn’t.” Saai says. Taliban had my home address and phone number. They harassed me every day. Taliban contacted every two or three days and asked where I was. Taliban also harassed those who had guaranteed me. After that I had neither the opportunity and nor the courage to take to the streets to protest. I kept silent; but my silence doesn’t mean surrender to Taliban.” Saai says.
Ultimately, Ruqeia Saai, the women’s rights protestor and advocator, could go to Pakistan with the cooperation of one of her relatives, after facing numerous obstacles and having no chaperone while Taliban had forbidden her to go out. Although her two children do not have access to education and have an unclear fate, she cooperates with Afghan women’s rights protestors and advocates for freedom and justice.
Saai’s philosophy of struggle is to get the world to understand that people of Afghanistan do not want a terrorist group. They an inclusive government. During the two past years, Afghan women’s rights activists during the republic who have fled abroad, had no cooperation with Saai and other women’s rights protestors. Hazara women’s rights activists have been neglected very much and no organization have cooperated with them. According to Saai there was discrimination between Hazara women rights protestors and other protestors in the Taliban prison. Taliban called her a rejectionist or “Rafezi” and when she asked them for a piece of clay for prayers, they ridiculed her. When Zarifa Yaqubi was in prison for 4o days, her family members had only met her one time but Farhat Popalzai’s family had met her 3 times.
Saai has studied until 11th grade and hoped to continue her education and serves the government along with her husband; but when her husband was killed by Taliban and Kabul collapsed, all her dreams were ruined and a destiny was made for her that she never imagined 3 years ago.
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