A World that Watches the Taliban Hunt Girls
by Elaha Hassani for Aasoo.org, translated into English by Rustam Seerat
The day began like any other. Friday prayers and household chores filled the morning until the familiar pang of excitement for a school event jolted me back to reality. The Jalga Literature Organization, a beacon of creative expression in these troubled times, was holding a gathering after a period of forced closure. My eagerness to participate warred with a gnawing fear that had become a constant companion under Taliban rule.
Stepping out of the house, my legs felt like lead. Fear, a chilling presence, had settled deep within me. What if something happened? Clutching at hope, I recited verses from the Quran, surrendering myself to a higher power as I embarked on the walk to the school.
The event was already underway when I arrived. The host called upon a girl to share a poem:
“Excuse me, sir, I’m a woman, not just a head wrapped in black clothes. I am as lovely as the diamond mountains; I’m not a marble stone.”
These words resonated with the turmoil within me. Images of the chaos engulfing the city flashed before my eyes — stories of the Taliban snatching girls from the streets under the guise of enforcing hijab regulations, whispers of these girls…
