Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 17 december 2019
A tattoo at a time, Afghan woman takes on society’s taboos

By TAMEEM AKHGAR brother persuaded her to
Associated Press become a tattoo artist,
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Shaheedi said, after she
— A female tattoo artist, a got her first tattoo while
rarity in ultra-conservative visiting Turkey — an ar-
Afghanistan, is taking a big row piercing the image of
risk with every customer an eye on her right hand,
she takes on. which she says symbolizes
It’s been 18 months since overcoming adversity.
Suraya Shaheedi started Shaheedi’s father, Hus-
her mobile tattoo shop in sain, 58, believes the strict
the capital, Kabul. She’s customs controlling wom-
received death threats for en in Afghanistan need
taking on the taboo of the to change. “I support my
ink-on-skin drawings she daughter in every way,
does — as well as being and she makes me proud
a single woman willing to the way she’s stood against
work with men. this taboo,” he said.
“I have struggled a lot, Shaheedi uses Instagram
even been threatened and other social media to
with death, because peo- find and meet customers.
ple in Afghanistan think do- She prefers not to keep a
ing tattoos is haram,” she parlor with a fixed address
said, using the Arabic word out of concerns for her
meaning prohibited by re- In this Saturday, 9, 2019, photo, Suraya Shaheedi, 26, Tattoo artist, left, pierced tattoo to a male safety.
ligion. customer in Kabul, Afghanistan. She also does manicures
“Whether my customers Associated Press and makeup. When she
are men or women doesn’t met one customer recently
matter to me. I do tattoos feels a return of Taliban rule for themselves in a society homes without a male es- at a hair salon, the custom-
for both,” says Shaheedi, a could threaten. where custom heavily re- cort. The insurgent group er’s husband recognized
26-year-old, divorced sin- After decades of war, Af- stricts women’s roles and ruled Afghanistan with a her from her social media
gle mother. ghans want peace. A big education. Close to 40% of harsh version of Islamic law pages as being the tat-
In a black curtained room, concern for many like Sha- Afghanistan’s eligible girls from 1996 to 2001, when too artist “Ahoo,” the nick-
surrounded by his friends, a heedi is that U.S.-led peace are not allowed by their the U.S. invaded. name she uses online. The
young customer shrieks in talks with the Taliban will families to go to school, Shaheedi divorced her husband threatened to kill
pain as the needle pierces boost the militant group. and almost 20% are forced husband eight years ago Shaheedi if she kept post-
and inks his skin. “I am happy if the Taliban by their families to leave while she was pregnant. ing images of her tattoo
“I can’t leave the profes- return results in peace, but school after grade six, ac- She and her son now live work on social media.
sion I love,” Shaheedi adds. if they disagree with my cording to a survey by the with her parents. Her father Tattoos were common in
She easily gets customers, work and impede the free- Asia Foundation released supports her work, even some of Afghanistan’s rural
whether men or women, as dom and progress of wom- this year. though Afghanistan’s pa- areas, especially among
social attitudes toward tat- en, then I will be the first to In areas under the Taliban, triarchal society often for- Pashtun and Hazara wom-
toos loosen up and more stand against them,” she who now control or hold bids a woman from touch- en, but the ink piercings
ink parlors open. It’s the vowed. sway over roughly half of ing a man to whom she is were used sparingly, often
kind of small, but important Women like Shaheedi the country, women are not related or married. as only a few green dots
change that Shaheedi have carved out a space not allowed to leave their Her parents and elder on the face.q

South Carolina man who inspired movie “Radio” dead at 73

Associated Press cult time,” Cann said in the Kennedy’s relationship
ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) statement. with Jones, portrayed by
— James “Radio” Ken- News outlets reported that Ed Harris. Kennedy got
nedy, the man who was Kennedy, who had devel- the nickname “Radio” be-
a fixture on the sidelines opmental disabilities, be- cause he always carried a
of a South Carolina high came famous around the transistor radio, according
school’s football games state for his love of the T.L. to Carolyn Dawkins.
for decades and whose Hanna High School foot- She worked in a depart-
life inspired a Hollywood ball team and his regular ment store annex in the
movie, has died. He was appearance at games early 1970s when Kennedy
73. since the 1960s. would come by several
T.L. Hanna High School “He was just a fine, fine times a week to talk high
Athletic Director John man,” former T.L. Hanna school sports with the store
Cann confirmed Ken- football coach Harold manager.
nedy’s death Sunday Jones told The Anderson “Radio was the heart and
morning on the school’s Independent Mail. “We all soul of T.L. Hanna for over
sports website. The cause loved him. We will miss him 50 years, and the impact In this Sept. 19, 2003 file photo James “Radio” Kennedy stands
with the T.L. Hanna High School varsity football team behind
of death wasn’t immedi- incredibly.” he made in our community him just before Friday night’s game against Fort Mill in Fort
ately released. The 2003 film “Radio,” star- can’t be overstated,” Kyle Mill, S.C.
“Please keep his family in ring Cuba Gooding Jr. in Newton, a spokesman for Associated Press
your prayers in this diffi- the title role, focused on Anderson School.q