Skip to main content

Autore: Patrizia Fabbri

Numerosi e partecipati gli incontri della militante di RAWA in Italia

Si è concluso pochi giorni fa il lungo giro in Italia (con una puntata in Svizzera) di conferenze di Shakiba, militante di RAWA.

Una visita che aspettavamo con impazienza quella di Shakiba, anche se per queste compagne ottenere un visto Shengen è sempre più complicato: l’ambasciata italiana più vicina è a Islamabad, in Pakistan; il visto pakistano ha un costo elevato e il viaggio per raggiungere il Pakistan, per una donna, è molto rischioso.

Ma per il CISDA, che lavora a fianco di queste compagne dal 1999, potere incontrare (e anche abbracciare) una testimone diretta della situazione e della resistenza in Afghanistan, dove i talebani stanno cancellando ogni diritto umano per le donne, è imprescindibile. E per queste compagne coraggiose e determinate avere la possibilità di “toccare con mano” la solidarietà che viene loro testimoniata nei numerosi incontri organizzati in varie città è fonte di vita e di speranza.

Due passi avanti e 30 indietro

“Ogni volta che facciamo due passi avanti nella conquista dei nostri diritti veniamo sbattute indietro di 30 passi” ci dice Shakiba al nostro primo incontro. “In Afghanistan resistere comporta il rischio di essere arrestate, torturate e anche uccise; ma non vogliamo abbandonare la nostra gente al suo destino, è nostro dovere restare per continuare a dare una speranza.”

La situazione è sempre più tragica e insostenibile per la popolazione afghana, in particolare per le donne:

  • le donne non possono lavorare, uscire di casa da sole, studiare oltre la sesta classe, mostrare il loro volto in pubblico o far sentire la loro voce; subiscono una delle forme più estreme di apartheid di genere. Molte delle donne che sono scese in piazza per protestare sono state arrestate, incarcerate, torturate e minacciate;
  • il disastro economico è intollerabile: non c’è lavoro e oltre il 90% della popolazione vive sotto la soglia di povertà. È normale che, date le condizioni di povertà, i maschi siano incentivati ad arruolarsi in qualche milizia per avere uno stipendio e riuscire così a sfamare la famiglia;
  • per avere un futuro moltissimi giovani cercano di scappare dal paese e percorrono le pericolosissime vie migratorie: Iran, Turchia e poi mar Mediterraneo, in mano a scafisti e trafficanti di esseri umani senza scrupoli;
  • nel paese sono state aperte 17.000 madrase, scuole coraniche, che in buona parte hanno sostituito le scuole statali e in cui i giovani studenti vengono indottrinati al fondamentalismo.

Nel frattempo, i talebani hanno ricevuto, solo dagli USA, 40 milioni di dollari ogni settimana e stanno svendendo tutte le ricchezze del paese (minerali rari, pietre preziose ecc.) per mantenere il loro potere.

Gli USA e i loro alleati occidentali in tutti questi anni hanno contribuito alla crescita, grazie a milioni di dollari e di armi, di gruppi di fondamentalisti di ogni tipo. Il risultato è che oggi in Afghanistan, oltre ai talebani, sono presenti ISIS, signori della guerra di diverse etnie, al Qaeda… che opprimono la popolazione afghana (le donne in particolare) da circa 40 anni.

Gli intensi incontri di Shakiba

Dimenticate dai media, dimenticate dai governi, dimenticate dalle organizzazioni internazionali, le donne afghane hanno sempre meno possibilità di far sentire la propria voce, per questo la serie di incontri organizzati da CISDA per la militante di RAWA è doppiamente importante.

Un giro di incontri molto ricco e partecipato: a Bologna RAWA ha ricevuto il Premio internazionale Daniele Po, promosso dalle associazioni Le case degli angeli di Daniele e Strade. Oltre alla cerimonia di premiazione, svoltasi nella Cappella Farnese di Palazzo D’Accursio di Bologna, Shakiba ha presenziato a circa 15 incontri pubblici che hanno coinvolto organizzazioni della società civile, ragazzi delle scuole con i loro insegnanti, attivisti e attiviste. Tra questi, molto significativo è stato l’incontro online con le commissioni pari opportunità della città metropolitana di Bologna, di Cento e di Pieve di Cento.

A Belluno è stata accolta dall’associazione Insieme si può, che da anni, insieme a CISDA, sostiene attivamente i progetti di RAWA e organizza eventi e iniziative nel Nord-Est.

A Piacenza le Donne in Nero, da sempre sostenitrici della resistenza delle donne afghane, hanno organizzato un partecipatissimo dibattito pubblico con cena di solidarietà.

A Roma Shakiba ha partecipato, al festival Sabir, all’incontro internazionale Voci di lotta e di resistenza dell’Iran e dell’Afghanistan organizzato da ARCI, e ha incontrato le donne del comitato italiano di Jineoloji (un collettivo di donne che si organizza e lavora con il movimento delle donne curde), le donne dell’ANPI provinciale e un gruppo di parlamentari che l’hanno ricevuta alla Camera dei Deputati. Sempre a Roma Donne di Classe e Sinistra anticapitalista hanno organizzato un evento molto partecipato con cena di sottoscrizione.

A Piadena è stato organizzato un dibattito pubblico nell’ambito del Festival dei diritti umani di Emmaus e un incontro con 80 ragazzi di 4 classi di terza media.

Va sottolineato che in tutti gli incontri con gli studenti e le studentesse delle scuole e delle università Shakiba ha dimostrato una straordinaria empatia e capacità di dialogo, suscitando grande curiosità e partecipazione.

La Casa delle donne di Torino ha organizzato un dibattito con raccolta fondi di solidarietà.

A Lugano Shakiba ha incontrato la professoressa Jolanta Drzewiecka e il professor Villeneuve Jean-Patrick, dell’Institute of Communication and Public Policy (Università della Svizzera italiana), con i quali ha parlato parlare della situazione afghana e delle attività di RAWA a cui è seguito un partecipatissimo incontro con gli studenti dell’università e un’intervista con dei giornalisti del “Corriere del Ticino”.

Infine ha incontrato online la Rete di Coalizione euro-afghana per la Democrazia e la Laicità, per raccontare la difficile situazione delle donne resistenti in Afghanistan e discutere delle possibili azioni di supporto politico che il CISDA e le altre associazioni italiane possono dare loro.

Bologna conferimento del Premio internazionale Daniele Po
Bologna conferimento del Premio internazionale Daniele Po
Scuole Pieve di Cento
Scuole di Pieve di Cento
Scuole di Pieve di Cento
Teatro di Pieve di Cento
Scuole di Pieve di Cento
Scuole di Cento e S. Giovanni
Scuole di Cento e S. Giovanni
Scuole di Cento
Comitato italiano di Jineoloji
Scuola di Bologna
Scuole di Ferrara
Ferrara – Giardino Ilaria Alpi
Un omaggio di Zerocalcare a Shakiba

Di seguito alcuni link di articoli e interviste a Shakiba pubblicati sui media italiani

La lotta delle donne afghane per «resistere ai Talebani»

Articolo pubblicato sulla rivista Domani sia nella versione online sia in quella cartacea.

Con il ritorno degli studenti coranici il paese è ripiombato nel buio. E alcune associazioni, come Rawa, fanno lezioni di nascosto. Dialogo con Shakiba, attivista afghana per i diritti

C’è un luogo nel mondo in cui l’erosione dei diritti delle donne sembra non avere mai fine. Vengono ridotti all’osso, fino a diventare polvere. Da quando i Talebani hanno ripreso il potere in Afghanistan, anche soltanto essere donna è diventato un crimine.

Alle ragazze è vietato studiare dopo aver compiuto 12 anni, le donne non posso lavorare, soprattutto negli uffici pubblici. I Talebani hanno chiuso le scuole di musica, di arte e di teatro, bruciato gli strumenti musicali. Il cosiddetto ministero per la Promozione della virtù e la prevenzione del vizio ha recentemente approvato una legge in cui vieta alle donne di cantare e far sentire la propria voce fuori di casa.

Una vita sotto controllo

«Le donne vivono costantemente sotto il controllo di questo governo misogino e fondamentalista, che esercita il potere puntando le armi contro le persone. Dobbiamo uscire di casa coperte dalla testa ai piedi, sempre accompagnate da un uomo. Leggi di questo genere vengono approvate praticamente ogni giorno. Un recente provvedimento impedisce alle televisioni di mostrare figure umane, stanno setacciando anche le librerie per eliminare le immagini».

Shakiba, pseudonimo che usa per nascondere la propria identità e garantire la propria sicurezza, lavora costantemente e in prima persona sul territorio afghano per aiutare il suo popolo, in particolare le donne, a resistere alla condizione in cui si trovano. Fa parte di Rawa, l’Associazione rivoluzionaria delle donne dell’Afghanistan, fondata nel 1977 da Meena, assassinata dieci anni dopo.

Le attiviste di Rawa lavorano nell’anonimato per promuovere resistenza silenziosa e denunciare i crimini che avvengono nel loro Paese. «Molte donne vengono molestate, arrestate, torturate, uccise, avvengono sparizioni forzate in tutto il Paese solo per silenziare la loro voce. Pochi mesi fa alcune ragazze sono scomparse e quando sono state rilasciate alcune di loro si sono suicidate», racconta.

La situazione psicologica è drammatica: «È dura per tutti, non solo per le donne. Nel 2021 siamo tutti rimasti traumatizzati da ciò che è accaduto. E oggi viviamo guardando questi uomini armati dappertutto per strada. La situazione economica del paese è talmente precaria che alcune persone vendono gli organi in mercati particolari, ci sono famiglie estremamente povere che stanno vendendo le loro figlie, per tirare avanti solo pochi mesi. Tante persone stanno andando via, scegliendo strade rischiose per arrivare in Europa».

La resistenza

Incontriamo Shakiba a Desio, nel corso di una sua visita in Italia organizzata da Cisda per portare la voce delle donne afghane fuori dai confini, fino a noi. Perché, dice, «le persone e i media si sono dimenticati del popolo afghano, pensano che la situazione si stia sistemando, ma non è così, quindi è importante venire qui e raccontarlo».

Da tempo Shakiba prosegue la sua lotta al fianco delle sue compagne. Le loro armi? Educazione, solidarietà, informazione. Concetti che a noi suonano comuni, quasi scontati, ma che a Kabul rappresentano un rischio enorme, ogni giorno.

«Organizziamo attività educative, per aiutare le persone a difendere i propri diritti e decidere per sé stesse. Facciamo lezioni in casa per le ragazze, su tutte le materie, anche scienze, e lavoriamo per accrescere la consapevolezza sociale. Cerchiamo di mantenerle attive ma anche attente. Abbiamo anche una squadra mobile per portare aiuti sanitari ai villaggi più remoti colpiti da alluvioni o terremoti, curiamo soprattutto le donne, ma non solo, e distribuiamo pacchi alimentari alle persone che ne hanno bisogno in tutto l’Afghanistan. È fondamentale anche condurre azioni politiche, che tuttavia non possiamo mettere in atto in spazi pubblici. Noi e tutti gli altri che si oppongono al regime usiamo molto i social media. Cerchiamo di mantenere anche la celebrazione di anniversari importanti come l’8 marzo o la data di uccisione della nostra fondatrice, anche se tutte queste cerimonie devono essere organizzate clandestinamente. Ma soprattutto documentiamo tutti i crimini contro i diritti umani avvenuti in Afghanistan dall’occupazione sovietica fino a oggi. Il nostro obiettivo è portare un giorno questi criminali davanti ai tribunali internazionali».

Rawa è stata la prima organizzazione a mostrare al mondo i crimini dei signori della guerra, filmandoli con micro camere nascoste sotto al burqa. «È rischioso, ma se vuoi vivere in un paese libero e democratico non c’è altra scelta. Se lasciassi il Paese migliorerei solo la mia vita. Restando, posso contribuire a migliorare quella di tutti».

I Talebani temono l’istruzione

Uno dei punti chiave del cambiamento è l’istruzione. La stessa che, racconta, fa così paura al governo talebano. «Sono le donne a restare la maggior parte della giornata a casa a occuparsi dei bambini. E quindi se le donne sono educate possono educare anche i loro figli, la famiglia e quindi la società intera. Per questo le schiacciano, violano il loro diritto all’istruzione perché restino ignoranti.

Sanno che se le donne si uniscono e alzano la voce possono creare cambiamento. E per questo con le nostre lezioni a casa noi pratichiamo una forma di resistenza. Loro ci impediscono di studiare, noi resistiamo imparando comunque. Ci sono tante donne che stanno combattendo per i loro diritti, con il rischio di essere arrestate o peggio. Resistono attraverso le loro case, i social media, condividendo arte, poesie, anche questo è un modo di essere attiviste».

E gli uomini? «Molti uomini sono solidali con noi, ma non possono mostrarlo in pubblico, perché verrebbero uccisi immediatamente».

Le donne di Rawa continuano a lottare, per la loro libertà e quella di tutti gli altri. Sono vicine alle persone di Gaza, dell’Iran, a tutti i popoli che stanno soffrendo nel mondo.

«Vogliamo la libertà e fare azioni di resistenza insieme, possiamo fermare tutto questo, ma possiamo farlo solo attraverso la solidarietà. A tutti voi chiediamo di fare pressione affinché i vostri governi non normalizzino il governo talebano, è un governo fondamentalista che non deve essere legittimato, perché questo non aiuterà la popolazione e le donne dell’Afghanistan. Non dimenticateci».

L’articolo è uscito sulla rivista Domani sia nella versione online sia in quella cartacea.

Sara Del Dot è giornalista professionista, video reporter e autrice di documentari. Si occupa di diritti umani, fragilità sociali, salute, ambiente.

Bodies of Women in Peace and War

On the front line are the bodies of women, where bombs fall, where rage explodes. At the edges of horror, in open war, or in the hidden battles within homes, in the traps of the mind—they are there. On mined borders, on the treacherous edges of love, between frustration and fire—they remain.

In Afghanistan, their bodies are erased, humiliated, killed. As Marral, an Afghan activist, says, “Women are the roots of the family, the tribe, the nation, and breaking them serves to dismantle the entire society and destroy the enemy.”

The prison for Afghan women grows daily with new bars. Their spaces shrink. Control becomes an obsession. Living is forbidden—this is the Taliban’s decree.

Women cannot work, study, or travel alone. They must hide under black rags, cannot decide anything about their own lives, and are not allowed to raise their voices, sing, recite poetry, or laugh. Parks and archaeological sites are closed to women, as are hairdressers, public baths, and restaurants. Domestic violence has no limits. The Taliban buy daughters from fathers to marry off to their fighters, and it’s an offer that cannot be refused. If you protest, resist, or even dress “wrongly,” you face prison. There, violence is dark and secret. Often, you don’t come out, or if you do, you’re scarred for life.

“If they could, they would steal the air from our lungs,” says Sabira. “According to them, I should stay at home watching my children starve,” says Narghez, a widow who tries to sell bolani (stuffed fried bread) in the streets, always ready to flee from the Taliban’s beatings.

The Taliban fear women, terrified by their bodies. Raised without mothers or sisters, shielded by guns, their minds colonized by madrasa mullahs, they lash out, unable to bear what they cannot control—the triumphant joy of a woman’s body.

A violent and fanatical terrorist group governs an entire population by erasing half of it, committing daily crimes against humanity. “Every time, history decided by others throws us backward. Now we are back in the Stone Age,” says Narghez, a Rawa (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) activist. The so-called international community is not overly scandalized, issuing weak condemnations while business flourishes. No one feels ashamed. No one has an interest in removing the Taliban. The 2020 Doha Agreement handed over Afghanistan to them, as decided by the U.S. and its allies, who continue to support and fund the Taliban government—leaving Afghan women to their inferno.

But women do not surrender. Many continue to fight for their rights. Alone or together, sharing knowledge or working within organized groups like Rawa, these women are armed only with courage. They establish underground schools, provide healthcare, create shelters against violence, and offer food support. They cultivate secret spaces, keeping a light alive in the pitch-black future. They are present—with their bodies of peace.

Part of this article was published in the journal of the Federation of Evangelical Women in Italy.

“In my country, Afghanistan, it is the rifles that hold power. We resist, beyond the silence.”

It’s been a long time since I last saw Shakiba. Time has left traces on her face, which, even here, she still has to hide to protect her life. A burden that can be glimpsed behind her confident and passionate words.

I find her, as always, courageous, tenacious, and fragile. She is part of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), founded in 1977 by Meena Keshwar Kamal, who was killed in 1987. The association, always clandestine, fights for women’s rights, social justice, and democracy. It continues, even under the Taliban, to carry out education projects and secret schools for girls, medical assistance, professional training, information campaigns, and food support.

The life of a RAWA activist is a total commitment: continuing her work while protecting herself, her family, her companions, and the women involved in their projects from the fury of the Taliban.

What does it mean now, Shakiba, under the Taliban regime, to be a RAWA activist?

Shakiba: It’s already very difficult to be a woman. Every day there are new bans, new rules to prevent us from living. It’s very hard, especially for girls who have lost their future and the chance to learn. Women are imprisoned in their homes and minds; they can’t even go to a park to breathe some air. But for us RAWA activists, life is even more complicated. We can’t stay confined within the walls of our homes, focused only on surviving in emptiness; we must keep advancing our projects. We’ve returned to the Stone Age and must start from scratch. But we are always at risk.

How do you protect yourselves?

Shakiba: When we leave the house, we wear a hijab with a mask and dark glasses so as not to be recognized. We don’t talk to anyone outside, not even in the car. We often change houses. In the city, we move alone, but if we have to go out of town, we need a mahram (a male chaperone), sometimes more than one. It would be impossible without them. We never take the same route or leave at the same time. We constantly check to ensure no one is following us—you always have to think about what might happen.

It sounds like a psychologically exhausting condition.

Shakiba: Yes, it’s true. Fear is always with us, and it must be that way. You have to stay alert—for yourself, your companions, and your family.

How do you travel when going out of town?

Shakiba: We rent a car. We can’t use our own; they could follow us back home. In the early days, there were many checkpoints; they checked everything—phones, cars. They even entered houses, mainly looking for weapons. Now less so, but when we leave, we never carry our phones or documents.

This isn’t new for RAWA.

Shakiba: Exaclty. We continue to find ways to work secretly and avoid being recognized. These are the methods RAWA has used since its inception. We never show ourselves; no one knows who is part of RAWA. We use false names so we can never be identified. Our faces must never be recorded on cameras.

Where are these cameras?

Shakiba: Everywhere. In all the streets and homes. It was ordered as soon as the Taliban arrived. Every building must have one, at the tenants’ expense. The guard, a kind of caretaker, is responsible for keeping them on at all times. If the Taliban want information, he is obliged to show them the footage. They also install cameras in the streets. For this reason, we must be absolutely unrecognizable. The good news is that there are frequent power outages.

When you go to the provinces to follow your projects, how are you received?

Shakiba: In villages, the Taliban are less oppressive than in cities. People welcome us with open arms because we bring projects for education, health, and food support. We know them, and they know us. The villagers have kind hearts.

Do the Taliban have support in the provinces?

Shakiba: Not everyone feels the same way. The Taliban also have their followers there. But in the past three years, hatred toward them has spread significantly among the population. People have suffered greatly, even men. Military personnel from the army were dismissed and persecuted; public offices were staffed with Taliban loyalists, leaving many without work.

Could this hatred toward the Taliban one day lead to an organized resistance to fight them?

Shakiba: Right now, poverty is immense. People can’t even think about the future; their only concern is feeding their children today. But maybe, when they truly can’t bear this life of hardship anymore, they will act.

So resistance is possible in the future?

Shakiba: Perhaps, but it will take a very long time. For now, coming out in the open is extremely dangerous. The Taliban shoot at demonstrators. If they are women, they shoot in the air to scare them; if they are men, they shoot them down like animals. When you face them with their rifles pointed at you, and you have nothing in your hands, it’s truly hard to resist. Rifles hold power in my country.

Do you see other obstacles preventing the formation of an opposition to the Taliban?

Shakiba: We need education and political awareness, to understand what is happening and to ask questions. Today, this is not the case. And it’s getting worse. There is no leadership, no strong party with a powerful project to serve as a point of reference. Educated people, engaged intellectuals, professors, competent politicians—they’ve all left Afghanistan. There is no education left to train future leaders.

Education is indeed a key aspect of your work.

Shakiba: Yes, for us, education and political awareness are fundamental. We must give people the tools to understand. Give every woman, even if she is illiterate, the chance to understand what is happening to her. This applies to men as well. We must save young people from the fundamentalist education of the madrassas (Islamic schools). They are brainwashing them. We can’t end up with a country full of only Taliban tomorrow. It would be a catastrophe.

What impact has your work had over the years?

Shakiba: Deep impacts. Over the years, from Pakistan to Afghanistan, we have educated and helped hundreds and hundreds of people. These are individuals who, even if they are not politically active and have chosen different lives, are good, reliable people. We know they want to do something for their country, they have good minds and good intentions. This will help them survive during these savage times.

Why are the Taliban so obsessed with controlling women?

Shakiba: If you take any action against women, who are the roots of all society, you affect the entire family. Women pass on what they know. If you educate a woman, you educate the whole family; if you keep her in ignorance, the entire family remains ignorant. An ignorant, fearful population with no means of understanding is easier to control. Women must be kept out of society so the entire future society will be subjugated.

Are they afraid of women?

Shakiba: Yes, absolutely. They fear their resistance because they know they can’t fully control them. They believe that if women were educated, they would take away their power or a part of it. They know that if women decide to do something, they won’t stop at anything. And they can change everything. The Taliban feel threatened and suppress them.

Crimes committed by the Taliban are difficult to uncover.

Shakiba: There is severe press repression and control over social media. That’s why one of our activities is to collect testimonies about their crimes and the depression and suffering of women. We receive reports from every Afghan province, sent to us by our colleagues. If one day we manage to bring the Taliban before a court, we must have all the documented evidence.

What crimes are we talking about?

Shakiba: Murders of women, civilians, military personnel, and Hazara individuals; sexual violence in prisons; public stonings and floggings. Or acts like cutting off hands, hanging people in the streets—just like during their first regime. At that time, RAWA activists would go to stadiums where women were punished, hiding small cameras in their clothes to film what happened. Those videos reached the entire world. Now, with mobile phones and the ability to take photos, it’s easier to uncover such acts. Especially in the provinces, people are willing to talk. But of course, such images are dangerous traces and must remain secret.

Is it also a technological war against the Taliban?

Shakiba: Yes, exactly. They’ve become skilled; they have Pakistani instructors. But we are more skilled than they are, and we use strong systems that help us resist.

Do you still organize demonstrations?

Shakiba: At the moment, we’ve decided not to. It’s too dangerous. Many women have been arrested, tortured, and some have disappeared. We are prepared for the worst, but we have a responsibility toward others, toward our association.

The Afghan hell is visible to everyone, yet no nation goes beyond mere words of disapproval. Why are they being allowed to act as they do?

Shakiba: For a long time, the Americans negotiated behind the scenes and ultimately handed the country over to the most barbaric of fundamentalists. The Taliban’s seizure of Kabul was a farce; soldiers were ordered to let them pass, and planes for government members were already prepared. The United States has always supported fundamentalist groups, and no one challenges their agenda. Everyone benefits from it. If we had a stable, secular, and progressive democracy, as we dream of, it would not allow foreign states to interfere in the country’s internal affairs. With fundamentalists, however, for money and weapons, they would sell even their own mother. It’s an easy deal. They will do anything for you—for your money. They will sell you the mines, produce opium for you, and give you freedom of movement on their roads, enabling you to control other countries like Iran, Pakistan, and Russia. And with ongoing wars and the precariousness of people, weapons will always be sold, and gigantic profits made. Therefore, no one has an interest in removing them after having installed them there.

What should Western civil society do?

Shakiba: You must act against the policies of your governments; it is the only way to change something in Afghanistan. Pressure your leaders to not follow the wrong policies of the United States, which you’ve supported for so many years. The West must stop supporting fundamentalist groups; it must stop this game that is destroying the very roots of my country. Without support, the Taliban would no longer be able to manage the country and would collapse. There can be no victory as long as these people are supported and funded.

How much financial support do the Taliban receive?

Shakiba: The Taliban openly state that they receive $40 million every week from the Americans to maintain the state apparatus. If there’s one thing they don’t lack, it’s money. If an NGO wants to start a project, it must register and pay substantial taxes to the government. The Taliban have their own NGOs financed by the UN. They also earn revenue from taxes, mining concessions, and other exploitation of our territory. Many nations have made agreements with them: especially China, but also Kazakhstan, Iran, and Pakistan, which takes our coal. Agreements for promising business ventures lead to a dangerous normalization, now underway, which lays the groundwork for future recognition of the Taliban government. The enslavement of women is merely a collateral effect, one deemed negligible.

Do the Taliban have rivals on the ground?

Shakiba: There are various terrorist groups, but they don’t pose a threat to the Taliban. They have control everywhere now. Afghanistan is becoming a “center for terrorist services,” fueled by the West. Militias are trained, gathered, and armed. The idea is this: you nurture various puppets, so you can later use them against your rivals. ISIS-K, for example, is used as a threat against Russia. The Americans also keep ties with the warlords of the previous government. When they saw the warlords were no longer reliable and turned to other states—Russians, Pakistanis, Chinese—they turned to the Taliban, who are more stable. But the warlords are waiting. You never know.

What is the strongest message for your people?

Shakiba: We are here, we are behind you, and you must not lose hope. You are not alone, and we don’t want to leave.

At these words, Shakiba is moved, and so are we.

Afghanistan Timeline

Starting from the most recent events, this chronology traces the history of Afghanistan up to the years of the wars of independence.

2024

  • 4 January: A spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue announced the arrest of an unspecified number of women for wearing the hijab incorrectly.
  • 6 January: ISIS-K claimed responsibility for an explosion on a minibus in the western district of Dasht-e-Barchi in Kabul, which killed at least two people.
  • 18 February – 19 February: The II Doha Conference on Afghanistan, organized by the UN, took place. On the first day, special envoys and groups from Afghanistan, including representatives of women and civil society, met. The Taliban were invited but refused to attend, citing unmet conditions. Special representatives from at least 25 countries participated. Four members, including Shah Gul Rezaee, Mahbouba Seraj, Mitra Mehran, and Lotfullah Najafizada, represented Afghan civil society. Antonio Guterres announced the intention to initiate consultations for the appointment of a UN envoy to facilitate interactions between the Taliban and the international community. The UN Secretary-General expressed hope that Taliban officials would participate in future meetings of this nature.
  • 19 February: A landslide in Nuristan province buried the village of Nakre in the Tatin Valley, killing at least 25 people.
  • 20 February – 13 March: At least 60 people were killed and another 23 injured due to floods and adverse weather conditions involving snow and rain nationwide.
  • 22 February: Taliban authorities executed two men publicly in Ghazni stadium in southeastern Afghanistan for two fatal stabbings. They were shot by the victims’ relatives in front of thousands of spectators.
  • 2 March: The Freedom Front claimed its members attacked a Taliban outpost in the Tahia-e Maskan area, north of Kabul, resulting in the deaths of some Taliban members and injuring two others. In a previous statement, the Resistance Front claimed to have killed a Taliban member and injured three others in an attack in Farkhar district, Takhar province.
  • 18 March: Five women and three children were killed in two Pakistani airstrikes in Khost and Paktika provinces following accusations of attacks on Pakistan originating from Afghanistan. In response, the Taliban opened fire on Pakistani troops at the border.
  • 21 March: A suicide bombing claimed by ISIS-K inside a bank in Kandahar killed 27 people and injured over 50.
  • 23 March: Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s “supreme leader,” announced on Afghan radio the reintroduction of stoning, including in public, for women accused of adultery.
  • 12-14 April: At least 33 people were killed and another 27 injured in flash floods caused by heavy rains in 20 provinces.
  • 17 April: The Taliban ordered the suspension of Noor TV and Barya TV channels, accusing them of not considering national and Islamic values.
  • 20 April: One person was killed and three others injured in a bombing under a minibus in a predominantly Hazara neighborhood of Kabul. ISIS-K claimed responsibility.
  • 29 April: Six people were killed when a gunman opened fire inside a Shia mosque in Guzara district, Herat province.
  • 3 May: Strong protests by residents of Qarloq village in Darayim district; some protesters demanded the “expulsion” of the Taliban from their areas. At least one person was killed and several others injured when the Taliban opened fire on residents. The protests extended to Argo district in Badakhshan, where dozens of people gathered the next day to protest against the Taliban, chanting anti-Taliban slogans.
  • 7 May: A report by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) revealed a growing threat from ISIS-K with greater capabilities than before the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Senior Study Group on Counterterrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan assessed that ISIS-K now “poses an increasing threat with a reach beyond the immediate region, greater than the period before the withdrawal.” The report warned of the broader regional implications of uncontrolled terrorist activities in Afghanistan, particularly concerning India.
  • 8 May: A motorcycle bomb killed three Taliban security personnel in Faizabad, Badakhshan province. ISIS-K claimed responsibility.
  • 9 May: In Nangarhar province, during a protest by residents against the demolition of their homes, three civilians were killed and five others injured when the Taliban fired to disperse the demonstrators. The incident occurred while residents were protesting. During the protests, some Nangarhar residents blocked the Jalalabad-Torkham highway for two hours.
  • 10 May – 25 May: 21 districts in northeastern Afghanistan were hit by devastating floods. Save the Children reported that, in Baghlan province alone, the hardest hit, 40,000 children were left homeless. The death toll was over 300 people, according to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), including at least 51 children, added UNICEF. About 80,000 people were affected; bridges, roads, schools, and hospitals collapsed; healthcare services were suspended in at least 11 clinics in Baghlan and Takhar provinces. Severe diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea spread among children due to the lack of drinking water. A disaster exacerbated by decades of war and the Taliban government’s inability to respond to climate emergencies. Flood victims in Baghlan criticized the Taliban for neglecting their situation and failing to respond adequately to their needs. Residents reported that Taliban rescue efforts were insufficient, leaving villagers alone in rescue operations.
  • 17 May: Six people, including three Spanish nationals, were killed and seven others injured in a shooting in Bamiyan. ISIS-K claimed responsibility.
  • 21 May: Turkish Airlines resumed flights to Afghanistan for the first time since the Taliban took power in 2021.
  • 3 June: Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations.
  • 4 June: A group of Afghan protesters published a ten-article resolution calling for the Taliban’s boycott from the next Doha meeting and an end to global engagement with the Taliban. Addressing the UN, they emphasized the need to include “non-Taliban figures” and representatives of “anti-Taliban fronts” in the meeting. Representing the “Afghan Women’s Political Participation Network,” the women stated that the appointment of the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan should “align with the standards and demands of the Afghan people, especially women.” During the Doha meeting, they called for the recognition of “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan and the defense of women’s rights in the country.
  • 14 June: The Taliban flogged nearly 150 people, including 14 women, in various provinces over the past 44 days, according to data collected by Amu TV. Sar-e Pul province recorded the highest number of incidents, followed by Kandahar, Paktika, Ghazni, Nimroz, Ghor, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Khost, Bamyan, Kabul, Paktia, Parwan, Kapisa, Panjshir, and Jawzjan. Public criticism of the Taliban’s repressive measures is growing. Many Afghans see these punishments as a continuation of the Taliban’s historical brutality. “Today’s Taliban are no different from the past. They used to flog people then, and they are doing the same now. The world should not remain silent against the Taliban,” said a Kabul resident.
  • 30 June – 1 July: The III Doha Conference, organized by the UN to normalize relations with the de facto Afghan government and officially reopen economic and political relations with Western economies, which had never been interrupted for some countries like China, India, Central Asia, Russia, and Iran. The novelty was the direct participation of the Taliban, who had not attended the previous two Doha Conferences, thanks to the acceptance of their previously excluded conditions, which required inviting only them as representatives of the Afghan people (excluding women and human rights organizations) and not addressing the issue of the systematic oppression and exclusion of women from education and society. For more details, read Doha 3: the “first time” of the Taliban..
  • 8 July: At least 217 people, including 180 Taliban members, were killed and 212 others injured in attacks in the country over the past three months, according to an Afghanistan Security Watch report. The watchdog’s report detailed 94 security attacks recorded in 18 provinces during this period; Kabul recorded the highest number of incidents, 47, followed by Herat with 11, Baghlan with nine, and Takhar with five; the Resistance Front claimed 57 attacks, the Freedom Front 19, and ISIS-K 6, while nine attacks were attributed to unknown entities. The report adds that many of these attacks targeted Taliban forces, resulting in the deaths of 180 Taliban members and the injury of another 168.
  • 10 July:
    • Pakistan announced a one-year extension for registered Afghan refugees, easing fears of immediate repatriation to Afghanistan. The Pakistani government had already announced the repatriation of all irregular migrants in October last year, citing security reasons. The repatriation of undocumented Afghans began on 1 November, with officials now reporting that up to 500,000 have been repatriated. Initially, authorities stated that there were about 1.7 million undocumented Afghans, most of whom had been residing in Pakistan for 40 years. “The federal cabinet has approved a one-year extension of the validity of PoR (Proof of Registration) cards for 1.45 million Afghan refugees. Their PoR cards expired on 30 June 2024. The extension has been granted until 30 June 2025,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s office. According to the UN refugee agency, about 1.3 million registered Afghans still live in Pakistan.
    • The Taliban flogged two individuals on charges of “document forgery” in southern Kandahar province. In the past two weeks, the Taliban publicly flogged at least 38 people in various provinces. Since taking power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have applied corporal punishments to hundreds of people, including executions.
  • July 15 – At least 40 people are killed following a storm in Nangarhar Province.
  • July 30 – The Taliban suspends relations with 14 Afghan overseas diplomatic missions and announces that they will no longer accept consular documents issued by these missions.[25]
  • August 5 – The Taliban allows foreigners inside the country on visas issued by the former government to stay, while those with visas but are outside Afghanistan would not be allowed to enter without documents from a Taliban-approved diplomatic mission.
  • August 11 – At least one person is killed and eleven others are injured in a IED explosion in Dasht-e-Barchi, Kabul, that is claimed by the Islamic State.
  • August 13 – Three Afghan civilians are killed during clashes between the Taliban and Pakistani forces at the Torkham border crossing.
  • August 17 – Uzbekistani Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov becomes the highest ranking foreign official to visit Afghanistan since the return of the Taliban in 2021.
  • August 20 –
    • The Taliban bans United Nations special rapporteur on human rights to Afghanistan Richard Bennett from entering the country for spreading “propaganda”.
    • The Taliban’s virtue ministry dismisses 281 members of the security force for failing to grow a beard and announces that they also destroyed 21,328 musical instruments in the past year and prevented thousands of computer operators from selling “immoral and unethical” films in markets.
  • August 21 – The Taliban issues new laws on vice and virtue severely curtailing women’s rights.
  • August 29 – The Taliban bans mixed martial arts, saying it is too violent and has a risk of death and that it is incompatible with Islamic law.
  • September 2 – Six people are killed and 13 others are injured in a suicide bombing in the Qala Bakhtiar neighbourhood of Kabul. The Islamic State takes responsibility the following day.
  • September 12 – Fifteen Hazaras are killed and six others are injured in a gun attack in Daykundi Province. The Islamic State takes responsibility.
  • September 16 – The United Nations announces the suspension of the country’s polio vaccination program by the Taliban.
  • September 17 – The Taliban announces the reopening of the Afghan embassy in Muscat, Oman.
  • September 22 – Iran summons the acting head of Afghanistan’s embassy after saying that a visiting Afghan official disrespected the country’s national anthem by not standing during a performance of the anthem, days after a similar incident occurred in Pakistan. The Afghan delegate apologizes, claiming that this was because the public performance of music is banned by the Taliban.
  • September 27 – The Afghan embassy in London closes down following an “official request” by the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, according to Ambassador Zalmai Rassoul. However, the FCO says that the decision to close the embassy was made by the “State of Afghanistan”.
  • October 23 – Eleven people are injured in an explosion at a market in the Pamir Cinema neighbourhood of Kabul.
  • October 24 – Helmand Province imposes a ban on the broadcast, filming and taking of images of living things.

2023

  • January 1: An attack at Kabul airport causes an unspecified number of casualties.
  • January 11: An ISIS-K suicide bomber kills at least 20 people in Kabul.
  • March 9: Three people, including Mohammad Dawood Muzamil, the Taliban-appointed governor of Balkh province, are killed by an explosion in his office.
  • March 27: Six people are killed and many others injured when a suicide bomber explodes near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Kabul.
  • April 4: The Taliban ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations and related funds, programs, and agencies.
  • April 29: Despite evident danger and defying Taliban security forces, a spontaneous demonstration of women in Kabul demands the international community not recognize the Taliban government. This initiative precedes an international meeting on Afghanistan convened by the UN in Doha.
  • May 4: The UN conference in Doha ends, preceded by strong controversies sparked by previous statements by Deputy Secretary Amina Mohammed, who had hinted at the need for “small steps” towards political dialogue with the Taliban. Antonio Guterres reported the conclusions: no recognition of the Emirate, condemnation of discriminatory policies, but “we cannot disengage.” Thus, the UN will continue working in Afghanistan even though the Security Council is divided on the mandate of UNAMA, the UN mission in Kabul (currently set to expire on March 17, 2024), as are various UN agencies after the Taliban banned Afghan women from working for them in April.
  • June 8: 15 people die and over 50 are injured in an attack on a mosque in Faizabad, northern Afghanistan, during the funeral of the Taliban deputy governor of Badakhshan province, Mawlawi Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, killed in an attack on June 6.
  • October 7: Pakistan announces that all undocumented foreigners must leave the country by October 31, 2023. Although the announcement concerns all foreign citizens, it mainly affects Afghans, about 1.7 million refugees who often have lived in Pakistan for decades or were even born there. This number is also fueled by over 700,000 who reportedly arrived in the country after the Taliban’s return to power.
  • October 7 and 15: Three strong earthquakes of magnitude 6.8 shake Afghanistan. The epicenter is located 30 km northeast of the Zinda Jan district in Herat province, which has just under two million inhabitants. According to the latest WHO report from December, the earthquakes affected about 275,000 people in districts where 23% of the population are children under 5 years old. Although obtaining reliable data is difficult, the earthquake likely caused the death of about 1,500 Afghans and injured over 2,100. The impact on infrastructure is severe, with hundreds of houses destroyed, damage to an already heavily compromised water network, and about 40 health facilities.
  • December 29: The UN Security Council almost unanimously votes on a resolution that will launch a new course in the world’s relations with Taliban Afghanistan, aiming for “an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbors, fully reintegrated into the international community and honoring its international obligations.” This measure changes the strategy previously adopted by the UN, confirmed at the Doha Conference last May, which established not to negotiate directly with the Taliban until they recognized women’s rights.

2022

  • March: Women’s access to secondary school is definitively banned.
  • May 7: Women are ordered to cover themselves entirely, including their faces, in public, and generally stay at home. They are also prohibited from making intercity trips without a male companion.
  • November: Women are banned from entering parks, amusement parks, gyms, and public baths.
  • December 7: Public executions and floggings resume.
  • December 20: Women are banned from university.
  • December 24: NGOs are prohibited from employing female staff.

2021

  • May 1: The Taliban offensive begins, leading to their control of 223 districts within three months, compared to the 73 pre-offensive.
  • July 2: Germany and Italy withdraw their troops. US troops leave Bagram airport, handing it over to Afghan armed forces.
  • August 6: The Taliban launch assaults on major cities where Afghan army forces surrender without fighting.
  • August 13: The Taliban take Herat, Kandahar, and Lashkargah.
  • August 15: Ashraf Ghani flees the country, and Kabul is captured by the Taliban.
  • September 6: The Taliban conquer Panjshir province; they declare territorial control over the entire country and reinstate the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
  • September 12: The Taliban announce that women can attend universities only using separate entrances and classrooms; students can only have teachers of their own sex or older men.

2020

  • February 18: Almost six months after the elections, Ashraf Ghani is formally declared the winner and therefore president; Abdullah Abdullah contests the results and announces the formation of his own government.
  • February 29: The Doha Agreement between the US and the Taliban is signed, formally ending the armed conflict and providing for the total withdrawal of NATO forces by August 31, 2021; parts of the agreements are kept secret. Simultaneously, a diplomatic agreement is signed in Kabul with the government to reassure Ghani.
  • September 12: The Taliban begin negotiations in Doha with representatives of the “republican” front of Kabul, which includes a wide range of political actors linked to previous governments and various fundamentalist factions.

2019

  • February: In Moscow, intra-Afghan meetings between the Taliban and other Afghan figures, including Karzai, but not members of Ghani’s government. Talks between Americans and Taliban continue.
  • UNAMA: The number of civilian casualties in the first quarter of 2019 is comparable to the previous year, but for the first time since 2009, civilian deaths attributed to the Afghan government, US, and international forces have surpassed those attributed to the Taliban and ISIS-K.
  • September 28: After numerous delays, presidential elections are held.

2014

  • April and June: Presidential elections. The results are contested with accusations of fraud, and in September, an independent electoral commission declares Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai the new president of Afghanistan. Under international pressure, a troubled agreement is reached for a national unity government, in which the defeated candidate Abdullah Abdullah is appointed prime minister.

2015

  • The Institute for the Study of War documents the presence of ISIS in the country, particularly in areas near the Pakistan border.
  • UNAMA: 3,545 civilian deaths and 7,457 injuries caused by clashes and bombs in the conflict between warlords, the Taliban, Afghan army and police, and NATO forces.
  • The FAO declares that 70% of the population lives on less than $2 a day.

2016

  • Taliban and ISIS attacks continue, along with direct clashes between US/Afghan armed forces and Taliban/ISIS.
  • September 22: After two years of negotiations under the aegis of the “Quadrilateral Committee,” Afghanistan-Pakistan-China-USA, the Afghan government signs peace agreements with the armed movement Hezb-e-Islami of Hekmatyar, responsible for crimes against humanity.

2017

  • The country is increasingly unstable with daily attacks and armed clashes.

2018

  • July: US officials begin secret talks with the Taliban at their political office in Doha.
  • UNAMA: Civilian deaths and injuries increase by 5% and 11%, respectively, compared to 2017.
  • Transparency International: Afghanistan ranks 172nd out of 180 countries in terms of corruption.

2010

  • March 16: A law is enacted providing amnesty for war crimes and human rights violations committed before 2001.
  • September 18: Third parliamentary elections. Three fundamentalist parties, which had been protagonists of the 1992-1996 factional war, led by warlords Rabbani, Mohaqiq, and Dostum, win the majority of seats.

2009

  • The Taliban control three-quarters of the country and are at the gates of Kabul. Attacks multiply, claiming mainly innocent civilian lives. A decree legalizing discrimination against Shia women is converted into law.
  • August 20: Second presidential elections are held. After alternating events and accusations of fraud, Hamid Karzai is confirmed as president.

2007

  • NATO extends the ISAF mandate by another 12 months. Violence continues, and the country sees no tangible signs of reconstruction. Parliament passes the Law on National Reconciliation, General Amnesty, and National Stability, guaranteeing complete impunity to those responsible for atrocities.
  • May 21: Malalai Joya is illegally suspended from her position as a deputy.

2005

  • September 18: First parliamentary elections are held. A parliament is elected, mostly composed of leaders of fundamentalist factions responsible for war crimes. Activist Malalai Joya is elected with thousands of votes.
  • Taliban resistance actions intensify. NATO expands ISAF presence in the country’s west.

2004

  • January 25: President Karzai promulgates the new constitution, which enshrines equality between men and women “before the law” (art. 22). However, the constitutional text states that “no law shall contravene the principles and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam in Afghanistan” (art. 3).
  • October 9: First presidential elections are held. Hamid Karzai is confirmed as president.

2001

  • October 7: In response to the September 11 attacks, the US, with UK support, launches “Operation Enduring Freedom” to topple the Taliban. The operation concludes with the defeat of the Taliban and the establishment of a transitional government led by Hamid Karzai, based on the decisions of the Bonn Conference held in December.

1994

  • The Taliban movement emerges. Composed of Islamic students from religious schools, they rapidly seize control of Kandahar, Herat, Jalalabad, and Kabul. They establish a regime based on their interpretation of Islamic law, characterized by extreme repression, particularly towards women.

1993

The civil war among warlords Burhanuddin Rabbani, Abdul Rashid Dostum, and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar causes tens of thousands of deaths.

1992

April: The mujahideen take Kabul and overthrow Najibullah.

1989

February: Soviet troops withdraw from Afghanistan, leaving Najibullah’s puppet regime in power, which the mujahideen continue to fight against.

1987

The mujahideen achieve significant victories.

1982

Osama bin Laden relocates to Pakistan.

1980

The mujahideen, composed of anti-communist and Islamic rebel groups, begin resisting the Soviet occupiers. There are massive anti-Soviet student demonstrations in Kabul.

1979

February: The U.S. ambassador is kidnapped and killed. The new regime signs agreements with the USSR. Two Afghan presidents are killed one after the other.

December: Soviet troops invade Afghanistan.

1978

April: The PDPA stages a coup and kills Daud. Thousands of Afghan intellectuals and democrats are imprisoned or killed.

1977

Activist Meena Keshwar Kamal founds RAWA.

1973

King Zahir is deposed by Daud and members of the PDPA. The monarchy is abolished. Daud declares himself president.

1965

First national elections are held. Both men and women vote. The pro-Soviet People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) is founded.

1964

A new democratic constitution is enacted, granting women the right to vote.

1963

King Zahir removes Prime Minister Daud from office.

1959

Daud and other ministers appear in public with their wives unveiled. Wearing the veil becomes optional. Kabul University opens its doors to women. Women enter the workforce and public institutions.

1955

Daud seeks support and aid from the USSR.

1953

Prince Mohammed Daud becomes Prime Minister of Afghanistan under King Zahir, his cousin.

1947

The United Kingdom withdraws from India: Pakistan is separated from India.

1933-1973

Reign of Mohammed Zahir, a ruler open to the Western world.

1921

Third Anglo-Afghan War. Afghanistan gains full independence. King Amanullah initiates social and political modernization of the country. Women’s education receives particular attention.

1878-1880

Second Anglo-Afghan War, in which Afghan heroine “Malalai of Maiwand” distinguishes herself.

1839-1842

First Anglo-Afghan War.

 

Corpi di donne in pace e in guerra

Sulla linea del fronte stanno i corpi delle donne, dove cadono le bombe, dove esplode la rabbia. Sui confini dell’orrore, nella guerra aperta, o in quella segreta delle case, nelle trappole della mente. Lì stanno. Sui cigli minati, sugli infidi confini dell’amore, tra frustrazione e fuoco. Lì stanno.

In Afghanistan, i loro corpi sono cancellati, umiliati, uccisi. Dice Marral, militante afghana, ‘Le donne sono le radici della famiglia, della tribù, del paese, e stroncarle serve a disarticolare la società intera e ad abbattere il nemico.’

La prigione delle donne afghane si arricchisce giorno dopo giorno di nuove sbarre. Gli spazi si restringono. Il controllo è ossessione.  Vietato vivere. Questo è l’ordine talebano.

Le donne non possono lavorare, studiare, viaggiare da sole, devono nascondersi sotto cenci neri, non possono decidere nulla della propria vita, non possono far sentire la loro voce, cantare, declamare versi, ridere. Parchi e i siti archeologici sono chiusi alle donne, come parrucchieri, bagni pubblici, ristoranti. La violenza domestica non ha più argini. I talebani comprano ai padri le loro figlie ragazzine per i loro miliziani ed è una proposta che non si può rifiutare. Se protesti, se ti opponi, se sbagli abbigliamento, c’è il carcere. Lì la violenza è oscura e segreta. Spesso non ne esci o, se ne esci, sei segnata per la vita.

‘Se potessero ci ruberebbero l’aria dai polmoni.’ Dice Sabira. ‘Secondo loro, dovrei stare a casa a guardare i miei figli morire di fame.’ Racconta Narghez, vedova, che cerca di vendere ‘bolani’ (pasta fritta ripiena) nelle strade della città, sempre pronta a scappare dalle botte dei talebani.

I talebani temono le donne, sono atterriti dai loro corpi. Sono cresciuti senza madri, senza sorelle, difesi dai fucili, la mente colonizzata dai mullah delle madrase. Si accaniscono, non vogliono vedere quello che non riescono a sopportare: la gioia trionfante di un corpo di donna.

Un gruppo terrorista violento e fanatico governa su un popolo intero annullando metà della sua popolazione, reiterando ogni giorno crimini contro l’umanità. ‘ Ogni volta la storia decisa da altri ci ributta indietro. Adesso siamo di nuovo all’età della pietra.’ Dice Narghez, militante di Rawa (Associazione Rivoluzionaria delle Donne Afghane). La cosiddetta Comunità Internazionale non si scandalizza più di tanto, condanna debolmente e fa prosperare i suoi affari. Nessuno si vergogna. Nessuno ha interesse a togliere di mezzo i talebani. A loro è stato ceduto il governo del paese negli accordi di Doha del 2020. Così hanno deciso gli Usa e i loro alleati che continuano a sostenere e finanziare il governo talebano.  Consegnando le donne al loro inferno.

Ma le donne non si arrendono. Molte continuano a combattere per i propri diritti. Da sole, insieme, condividendo il loro sapere, o in gruppi organizzati come Rawa. Donne armate solo del loro coraggio. Creano scuole clandestine, soccorso sanitario, case rifugio contro la violenza, sostegno alimentare. Coltivano i loro spazi segreti. Tengono accesa la luce nel buio pesto del futuro. Loro ci sono, con i loro corpi di pace.

 

Parte dell’articolo è uscita sulla rivista della Federazione donne evangeliche in Italia