Afghanistan has plunged into the murkiest of dooms, as the Taliban now establishes total control over the country. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country yesterday and has reportedly also resigned from his post. This action leaves Afghanistan in an absolute ruckus, as people are fleeing the country in the sliver of peaceful time they have remaining. The biggest danger, however, is going to be faced by Afghan women and children.
Reports suggested that the Taliban is now forcing Afghani women to marry their soldiers, ultimately leading to sex slavery. Until the government existed, Afghani women prospered in education and careers. From filmmakers to teachers, women aspired to excel in a multitude of prospects. Now that the Taliban is exercising full control, women are likely to lose total freedom in Afghanistan.
The 5 years in which the Taliban ruled the country, women were subject to exactly this treatment. No girl was to be educated beyond the age of 12, and women could not go out without a male guardian. Though the Taliban, like other terrorist groups, acts as champions of Islam and its laws, it is anything but. The most at risk are working women, especially journalists. Many fear all their hard work and achievements will be grounded to nothing.
Afghan Women Plead for Safety and Global Attention
Filmmaker Sahraa Karimi shared a heartfelt note, describing the horrifying situation. She says that almost 2 million girls will be missing out on schools. Karimi ended with the lines, “We have such little time, maybe days.” On Sunday, Ghani fled Kabul and the Taliban took over the palace. She also mentions how a woman was killed simply because of her attire. The Taliban forced women to be in complete purdah.
To All the #Film_Communities in The World and Who Loves Film and Cinema!
I write to you with a broken heart and a deep hope that you can join me in protecting my beautiful people, especially filmmakers from the Taliban. #Share it please, don’t be #silent. pic.twitter.com/4FjW6deKUi
— Sahraa Karimi/ صحرا كريمي (@sahraakarimi) August 13, 2021
Women from the doomed country have taken to social media to share their fears, asking for help. International help is minimal; Joe Biden is now sending back troops to Afghanistan. Visuals of a choked Kabul airport are going viral on the internet, with people using any ounce of luck that comes their way. Women are leaving families behind with utmost sorrow, so they can have a better future.
The world sits in silence as Afghan women and children are about to see the darkest days of their lives. NGOs and human rights groups are raising funds to help them. As humans, we must at least acknowledge the despair these vulnerable groups are going through. Even though the Taliban says that it has become more lenient on its stand on women, Afghani women will definitely say otherwise.
