Women continue their struggle against the discriminatory and oppressive patriarchal rule. Women whose problems are the same no matter where they are, are more courageous with the strength they get from each other. This courage that makes it visible that the darkness in the Middle East is not 'destiny', challenges Afghanistan.

 

Afghan women, who resist for their equality and freedom under the Sharia laws, are determined not to surrender to the Taliban, which has come to power again after 20 years.

 

FEAR OF WOMEN

 

The first bans of the Taliban, which took control of the capital Kabul on August 15 , started its dictatorship by imposing bans on women first. While the doors of schools were closed for girls, women were pushed out of daily life, the Ministry of Women was closed. Women who are condemned to all kinds of violence behind closed doors resisted to the new, dark regime. While men, including the President fleed the country, women stayed in the country to fight back. Women chose to defend their lands and their way of life instead of waiting to be saved.Women found ways to communicate with each other under very difficult circumstances besides demonstrating their reactions to the Taliban regime. Women of Afghanistan who inherited the flag of freedom, which is the worst fear of dictators, are the greatest danger for the Taliban.

 

One of the women, Wahida Amiri, who witnessed the oppression of the Taliban 20 years ago, lost her freedom to walk the streets of Kabul and lost her library and her job. Amiri who chose to resist instead of fleeing her country, is among the first women to stand up against Taliban. Amiri who is at the forefront of the resistance, continues to make the women of the world hear about the resistance of Afghan women.

 

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, November 25, we listened to the struggle of women in Afghanistan and the voices they are trying to raise from Amiri.

 

Afghanistan has been under the control of the Taliban for months. What happened in Afghanistan in the last 3 months? What is the situation now?

 

It's been months since the previous regime fell. We live under very different conditions right now. We are in a very terrible situation and all the people, especially women, have lost their jobs. Schools for girls are closed. The lives of children whose fathers and mothers could not work were also affected. It even affected the children of the rich families. The children are trying to find a job. Before the Taliban, we used to take the children to the park, take a walk, and eat at a restaurant. But now we've lost that chance. Everyone is in bad shape, both psychologically and economically. The practices of the Taliban are inhumane and us, women protest this regime and try to raise our voices. The Taliban is trying to feed its ideology to the people through power and politics.

 

How serious is the economic crisis? How do you show solidarity with the poor people?

  

Everyone is unemployed in Afghanistan and all ministries are closed. Nobody has a job. The people that goes to work is those who accept this regime. They are willing to grow beards and dress like them. The international community has turned a blind eye to Afghanistan. The United Nations (UN) simply writes that 'Afghanistan is experiencing an economic crisis'. But we are the ones experiencing this economic crisis. 8 children died. A family sold their daughter because they were starving. The poor live in certain neighborhoods of the city. There isn't even enough food to eat. We don't have enough resources to help them either. But we managed to form a group and brought clothes and tents for them. The work we did was not really very important, but we did it so that the international community could see it, be impressed and start collecting aid. The situation is very dire, winter is coming and this winter will be very difficult. All non-governmental organizations should know that the people of Afghanistan really need help now.

 

With the return of the Taliban, the freedoms and gains that women and girls have made in the last 20 years are also under threat. What would you like to say, what has changed for women before and after the Taliban regime?

 

First of all, we lost our right to education. Second, we lost our jobs. Thousands of people are unemployed. We are in such a situation that we lost our jobs and got poor, our children are hungry. We are going through an economic crisis. A lot has happened recently. We can't go to school, we can't work. We have no right to make a living. Of course, we did not like the previous government, but were willing to force it to reform. We were forcing that government to bring prosperity to the people. I am from the generation that witnessed the Taliban 20 years ago. I was deprived of my right to go to school at that time, and I am still experiencing the same thing. We have the right to be educated, to work and to exist in society. But the Taliban won't let anyone. All people's lives have changed. I talked to female professors at the university. They say, 'We stayed at home and even lost our dignity. We have lost our identity'.

 

What were you doing before the Taliban took power in Afghanistan?

 

I graduated from law and politics faculty. But then the world of literature caught my attention and I decided to write stories. I decided to work especially on women writers and opened a small library for myself. I wanted to expand my library. So I wanted to encourage people to read. But now my library is gone, I can't go there anymore. The Taliban won't let me open it. I'm at home all the time right now, it's a difficult situation. It's a very painful situation for me. I lost my identity, now I want to raise my voice against the injustice of the Taliban.

 

We see that there is a struggle against oppression. How was this struggle grew?  Are you afraid to go out on the streets? How did you reunite with women?

 

In Afghanistan, women were divided into three groups. The first group does not object at all. Because they are women who are already at home, not working. The second group of women, on the other hand, hurts a lot. They are in a very difficult situation, they have lost their jobs, they are psychologically broken, I see some of them crying day and night. But they do not dare to go out and protest. Because they are afraid of the Taliban. Because when we protest outside, the Taliban spray us with tear gas and use electroshock guns on us. Taliban soldiers come and blockade us. That's why some of these women don't want to join the protest. But the third group takes that risk. Because the women in this group raise their voices and call on the people to take to the streets to demand their rights. Those women demand that the international community be heard and make their voices heard. I take to the streets and encourage women to do so. Everyone, whether male or female, needs civil society to come out and raise their voices. We want to make our voices heard for women in Europe. I've been to 7 different demonstrations. I raise my voice to normalize protests, so that people get used to it. Get used to protesting, taking action. Women must raise their voices against the Taliban and demand their rights.

 

How do you come up with solutions to the bans of the Taliban as those who take to the street? Can you make those who do not take to the streets to join the struggle? For example, you recently shared photos of yourself protesting in social media..

 

I said that there are three groups of women in Afghanistan. Some women do not want to speak up, they stay at home, some women raise their voices and take to the streets, and some women cannot go out because they are afraid of the Taliban. We organized the protests at home for those women. We tried to show our situation in Afghanistan to the world. The Taliban said women can go to work, but they're lying. No ministry other than the Ministry of Health is working. All ministries are closed and women cannot go to those institutions. There was a Women's Ministry before, but when the Taliban came, it was closed. Thousands of women were working in that ministry. But now all doors are closed to women. Not all of these women dare to go out and raise their noise. We reach these women through other women and acquaintances in our own circle.

 

Were there any women who were detained or beaten during your protests outside?

 

We took to the streets two weeks after Taliban took control of the country. We were the first ones to take to the streets. They hit a woman called Nergis with the butt of a gun. It was also the first time I was exposed to tear gas. They beat up the women very badly the second time. They didn't detain the women but they detained the men. They beat the men for a week before they release them making them sign a document committing that they will never take to the streets again. It was a demonstration about our right to education. They used stun guns on us. They beat up the journalists too. But we did not disperse for 4 hours. They blockaded us and barricaded the doors.

 

Have you ever been treatened by the Taliban?

 

The Taliban once called me and said, 'You are leading these actions, do not participate in these actions again'. I said, 'I have the right to protest. This is our right, why are you afraid of it?' Then they said they were there to stop the deaths and we had to recognize them. I asked them how they were stopping the deaths while so many were being killed, especially in Panjhir. Every one is confined to their homes, depressed. This is what Taliban did to the people to be in power.

 

How do you women come together? Do you have a name for your organisation?

  

I had a library before the Taliban. I was in connection with different groups of women there. Now I can't get in touch with them. We don't have a name or an organisation.  It was a completely spontaneous movement. We are the resisting women of the Taliban era. We met each other the first week Taliban took control of the city. We have spokepersons. I am one of those spokespersons. We are all in that movement right now. We are demonstrating against the tyranny of Taliban, to the ban on education for women and girls. We used a slogan last week, which is, "Your silence is shameful, history will be ashamed of your silence."

 

Some women had left the country while some stayed. What would you like yo say to the women that left? Do you plan to leave Afghanistan?

 

They are all so right. One of the ways to fight back is to stay alive. No matter what happens we have a right to protest. Fighting for your homeland is something else. Those who have left saved their lives. Taliban would kill them if they stayed. I was planning to go to Iran do my master's degree before Taliban. Now I am planning to stay here unless something horrible happens. This is my home. I love my homeland and I will continue to fight. I have a message to women. Be brave. Be brave to defend your rights. 

 

Women all around the world are fighting for their freedom and their identity. Women in Rojava fought agaist ISIS. Are you aware of the struggle of women in Rojava?

 

I had a teacher before all these. His name was Ramin Kemanger. He had a book. Its name was 'Street protests and power'. It was published a year ago. I had read it several times. Obviosuly it was about taking to the streets against power. We learned to demand our rights from that book. He wrote, "The only way of political and social change in society is to take to the street and through civil protest. These civil protests cause a change in power and the political sphere.' In part of the book about the protests, he also mentioned the Kurdish women's struggle.

 

What is your message for November 25 for the women of the world?

 

Our most important message to the international community and the UN is: Let them keep the Taliban under pressure so that education and employment can be possible for women. We will never let Taliban be legitimized. Taliban is for the power, not the people. 

 

TOMORROW: Message from Poland: Universal sisterhood will liberate

 

 

 

MA / Zemo Ağgöz - Gözde Çağrı Özköse