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A30 world news
Diaranson 29 september 2021

Where women took shelter from abuse, Taliban now in control

giant red teddy bear and a few ing that she faces threats from
small toys for their amuse- all sides — from the Taliban
ment. and from the families of the
women who found refuge in
“We mostly pray and read the her shelters.
Quran all day,” said Salima.
For the past several years,
Salima said that she has no Pakzad and other women
idea what the future holds, pressed for a voice in the ne-
but for the present, with no gotiations between the U.S.-
money and no family, she backed government of the
said she feels safe here. time and the advancing Tal-
iban. They hoped to ensure
But Mujdha, another woman rights for women in any final
in the prison, said she wants arrangement. Now, in one
her freedom. She had been fell swoop, they are scram-
pregnant by a boyfriend but bling for their own safety.
her family refused to let
her marry him, and instead Pakzad shared an arrest war-
forced her to marry a relative. rant for her and seven other
She ran away. “I told them I activists and journalists from
would never stay with him” western Afghanistan, issued
she said. The family reported by the new Taliban police
her to the Taliban, who ar- chief in Herat. The warrant
rested her and her boyfriend. accuses the eight of “spread-
(AP) — When the Taliban killed for simply marrying of Afghanistan’s main prison, ing propaganda against the
seized power, the opera- a man of their choice. They called Pul-e-Charkhi. The Mujdha gave birth in prison Islamic Emirate” and accuses
tor of the only women’s are often married at puberty. prison was empty because to a baby daughter 15 days Pakzad of “involvement with
shelter in a northern Af- Fleeing even an abusive hus- when the Taliban took over ago, soon after her arrest. She Western countries to spread
ghan city ran away. Left band is considered shame- Kabul, they freed all the in- hasn’t seen her boyfriend, prostitution.”
abandoned were 20 wom- ful. Hundreds of women are mates, including thousands jailed elsewhere in the pris-
en who had fled a variety jailed for so-called “morality of men, 760 women and on, and he has yet to meet his But Mahboba Suraj, who
of domestic horrors, some crimes,” including adultery more than 100 children, ac- infant daughter. runs a shelter for 30 women
abused by husbands or or running away from home, cording to the prison’s new in Kabul, said the Taliban
family, others forced into even though they are not of- Taliban administrator, Mul- “I want to leave, but they say have come and investigated
early marriages with older ficially crimes under the Af- lah Abdullah Akhund. I can’t,” she said. the shelter and let the women
men. ghan penal code. remain there unharmed. She
The Associated Press was Akhund said a court will de- said she was visited by vari-
Soon after, the Taliban ar- Over the past two decades, given rare access to the wom- cide whether to charge her, ous departments of the new
rived at the shelter in the city activists set up dozens of en in the prison. Now there adding, “It is wrong that she Taliban government, includ-
of Pul-e-Kumri. women’s shelters around Af- are only six women there, in- left her husband. She has no ing senior officials.
ghanistan. But even before cluding Salima and Razia. right.”
They gave the women two the Taliban takeover, con- “The higher ups were abso-
options: Return to their servative Afghans, including A massive steel gate leads to Since taking power, the Tal- lutely the best. They want to
abusive families — some of government officials, viewed the women’s prison. Rolls of iban’s response to women’s protect us ... and understand
whom had threatened them them with suspicion, as plac- barbed wire are strung atop shelters has varied. In the that they have problems
with death for leaving — or es that help women and girls the 20-foot-high walls. In- western city of Herat, several within their own people”
go with the Taliban, recalled defy their families or abet side, the women move freely have been shut down, said who may not be as supportive
one of the women, Salima, “moral crimes.” with their children. Salima’s Suraya Pakzad, a women’s of women’s shelters, she said.
who asked only that her first 5-year-old daughter Ma- rights activist from Herat
name be used. Women’s shelters are just one ria and son Mohammad, 6, who opened several shelters. For now, “they want to have
of a myriad of social changes spend most of their day in a protection for us,” she said.
Most of the women chose to that became more prevalent main, large, carpeted room. Pakzad said Friday in text “Thank God, I do believe
return home, fearing the Tal- in the past 20 years or didn’t There is no school and just a messages from a place in hid- that. I honestly do.”
iban more than their fami- even exist when the Taliban
lies. Salima said she knew of last took power in 1996 —
at least one who was since everything from social media
killed, likely by an angry fam- and the internet to business-
ily member. women and women judges.
Now since overrunning Ka-
But Salima decided to leave bul and sweeping into power
with the Taliban. She didn’t on Aug. 15, the hard-line
know what they would do, militant group is wrestling
but she had nowhere else with how to deal with the
to go, having fled her abu- changes, with the Taliban
sive, drug-addicted husband leadership at times uncertain
months earlier. Now she and fighters on the ground
finds herself housed in a pris- acting on their own.
on — but protected and safe,
she says. Salima was taken to Kabul,
along with another woman,
Whether under Taliban rule Razia, who had lived in the
or not, women in Afghani- shelter nearly a year after
stan’s deeply conservative fleeing a predatory brother-
and often tribal society are in-law.
often subject to archaic codes
of behavior that hold them With nowhere to put them,
responsible for the honor of the Taliban put them in the
their families. They can be abandoned women’s section