Smirks of an Executioner

By T. T. Sh.

On the second of October 2021, when an Iranian female journalist interviewed Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, he appeared calm and respectful, with a faint smile on his face. To some non-Afghan viewers, these smiles might suggest that the Taliban have changed, but we Afghan women know better. These are not the smiles of reform; they are the smirks of an executioner.

This dark-minded group, which now holds the fate of an entire country in its hands, is systematically implementing medieval, extremist, and deeply misogynistic practices. Their primary targets are women and the civil liberties of all citizens. Under the guise of enforcing Islamic Sharia law, the Taliban pursue a destructive agenda, with one of their main objectives being the complete erasure of women from every sphere of Afghan society—a goal they have nearly accomplished.

By imposing various restrictions, the Taliban aim to break the free and rebellious spirit of Afghan women, forcing us into submission within an oppressive and stifling environment. Their intent is clear: to silence our calls for equality with men and to condition us into accepting a secondary, obedient status within the household.

The Taliban’s first major act was to mandate the wearing of veils, effectively erasing women’s individual identities. A person’s face is a complete symbol of their identity and existence, which is why it appears on every official document. Under the pretext of enforcing the hijab, the Taliban seek to deny women their individuality and erase our physical presence from society. Visit any market now, and you’ll see women shrouded in identical black veils, devoid of individual expression—cold, lifeless, moving statues, all made to conform to the Taliban’s vision.

While they may allow a few women to serve as lobbyists for their ideology, these women are also victims of the Taliban’s extremism. In the Taliban’s doctrine, a woman’s place is in the home, and beyond that, she may be used as a tool or a rented voice, but she will never be truly valued. In contemporary thought, women stand equal to men, but in the Taliban’s view, a woman is a subordinate follower, her greatest virtue being obedience to her husband. According to their twisted beliefs, even her prayers are invalid without this obedience. For the Taliban, a woman is merely a breeding machine, her role limited to producing children to further strengthen their corrupt ideology.

The Taliban’s actions have deeply impacted the psyche of Afghan society. Boys and young men, influenced by the restrictions imposed on women, sometimes willingly, sometimes forcibly, become part of the pressure on the women in their families. The Taliban are trying to mold the men of society into their ideological soldiers, using threats and hollow concepts like chastity and hijab. They poison the minds of men and boys with notions of “honor” and “Afghan pride,” which they are then expected to impose on the women and girls in their lives. I am convinced that if this trend continues and the world remains a passive observer, it won’t be long before even the slightest dissenting voice is silenced.

This is a bitter and disheartening reality. The Taliban, having learned from other oppressive regimes like the Islamic Republic of Iran, are doing everything in their power to push women further into the dark margins of society, isolating us. Simultaneously, they shamelessly exploit the name of women, using a handful of trained female mouthpieces to create the illusion that women are aligned with their ideology.

This duplicity and hypocrisy are not new to religious authoritarian regimes. Many governments and institutions of power have employed such tactics, creating false representations to legitimize their oppression.

It is evident to the Taliban ideologues that women and their extremist beliefs are fundamentally incompatible. In the Taliban’s worldview, violence, suicide, and murder are glorified, while in the worldview of women, love, compassion, and life are celebrated. In a society where women are free and happy, the entire community benefits from a healthier mental state. The Taliban know well that women are the roots of life. Where women thrive, life flourishes, and in such a place, the merchants of death have no audience.

In conclusion, I want to remind the Taliban of what they deliberately overlook: Afghan women and girls have changed! We are no longer the submissive individuals who could be coerced into accepting oppression under the pretense of hijab, Islamic law, or obedience to our husbands. Thanks to the flow of information in today’s free world, Afghan women are aware of our rights and responsibilities, and we know that there is no path forward except to resist these night-worshipping bats.

We will resist, and as long as we breathe, we will aspire to fly! The Taliban should know that we dream of soaring in the blue sky of our aspirations! Those who support the Taliban’s ideology should be aware that Afghan women have learned from an early age to be our own invincible heroes. The stones you throw at us will become the steps to our success, and one day we will stand atop them and answer your smirks with the smile of victory!

The writer, who introduces herself by the acronym T. T. Sh., was born in the Farah province in western Afghanistan and spent her childhood and adolescence in her hometown. She completed her studies in midwifery, but, like other women in the country, was forced to stay at home after the Taliban came to power. Although she is not a professional writer, she has taken up the pen out of a sense of duty and concern for the future of the girls in her country, wanting to be the voice of the oppressed women and girls in Afghanistan. 

Note: The contents of the article are of sole responsibility of the author. Afghan Diaspora Network will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in the articles