Afghan activists kept their word and took to the streets of Kabul this Saturday in what they dubbed a “black day.” Dressed in mourning, as this date is considered the darkest day in the recent history of the country, they gathered at the doors of the Ministry of Culture at ten in the morning. A few minutes later they moved for a banner on which was written in English: “August 15, rainy day.” They pushed the mobilization forward by two days because they know that on the exact date of the anniversary of the return of the Taliban to power – Monday – they will increase security measures as much as possible, and called on the international press through social networks. They hoped that the presence of international journalists – according to the Foreign Ministry, about 300 media outlets were accredited for the emirate’s anniversary – would soften the backlash of the Taliban, who yearn for international recognition. But they were wrong.
The demonstration was attended by about forty women of various ages, whose screams silenced the chaotic traffic in the center of the Afghan capital. As soon as they left the place of concentration, they began to repeat the slogan of this day, like a mantra: “Justice, justice, we are tired of being locked up!” They walked at a fast pace, surrounded by the Taliban.
Forty brave men who realized the danger they were in and with the goal of moving as far as possible, because they knew how the mobilization would end. It was short, just five minutes, but intense, charged with the energy of women who have been suffering for a year under the restrictions of the Emirate and who have the responsibility to represent the interests of millions of women in their country on their backs. They wanted to send their message to the world, they wanted the international community not to forget them, they wanted to advance and advance through the streets of Kabul, but the Islamists did not take long to bring them back to the harsh reality of the emirate.
Shots in the air eclipsed protesters’ demands for justice in an instant. Shots and more shots. A Taliban veteran kept a close eye on the youths, forcing them to raise their weapons to shoot as high as they could. They did not shoot to kill, they fired to intimidate and disperse some of the women who have not given up since the day the Islamists took back power in Kabul. It was the first demonstration since May, and it ended the same way, with gunshots and insults. There were no arrests, but there were blows with AK47 rifle butts.
Leyla Basim can’t stop thinking about what she’s been through. His phone rings and rings, but he doesn’t want to answer until he gets home and closes the door. Then he hugs his mother and sister and sighs from the depths of his soul. “They fired into the air, but for the first time into the ground. Intelligence agents with machine guns were everywhere, they came up and shot at the ground to scare us. Every time they shoot closer,” he commented, replaying the two videos he recorded on his phone and shared on social media over and over again.
This 25-year-old economics student leads the Afghan Women’s Spontaneous Protest Movement activist group. At the moment there are one hundred associates, and they work in the shadows in the organization of mobilizations, making posters and distributing all the material on the networks, “so that the world does not forget us,” she pointed out.
Having somewhat calmed down and answered three calls, he explained that “the Taliban are the same extremists as before, they have not changed. They insult us, call us prostitutes and accuse us of being slaves in the service of the United States, of secret plans to plant democracy here in order to destroy the Emirate… These words are repeated in every protest. “. This young activist has moved home four times over the past year for security reasons, but she is not going to give up the fight for her rights and has the support of her entire family.
“We cannot throw overboard the gender gains made over the past two decades and we must fight to restore them. In these 12 months, the Taliban have driven us from the scene, from the streets and from work, sexual harassment continues to rise, and emigration is on the rise; all those women who can leave,” lamented Layla, who, once she regained her breath and energy, did not take long to receive a call that called her to a meeting to take stock of what happened at the demonstration.
She is grateful for the responses of the international press, the response to her demands in the networks. Things are much more difficult for the local press, and a third of the pre-emirate media outlets have closed down, according to the latest statistics released by Reporters Without Borders. Things are getting tougher for the Afghans, which is why activists once again risked their lives this Saturday to show the world that they are experiencing this anniversary of the Taliban like a real “rainy day”.
Source: El Correo
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.