‘Do not laugh. Do not wear this. Do not speak aloud’: life under the Taliban | Anonymous

Islamic fascism, a harsh form of tyranny, is marked by oppressive rule, intolerance and violence. Its most extreme form today is seen here in Afghanistan, where freedom is crushed under severe suppression. Fascism in Afghanistan is a particularly cruel and horrific form of oppression, severely interfering in every aspect of life, especially for women. It controls everything from what we wear and where we go and most importantly, what we are allowed to think. Women are denied education, stripping us of the ability to think independently. However, the lack of freedom also affects men, who are similarly restricted from thinking or acting differently or speaking out against the rules imposed by the Taliban.

Women are removed from all areas of life, our voices and presence erased from society. Democracy and human rights are completely ignored, considered enemies of the Taliban regime. Children’s minds are molded through harsh indoctrination, turning them into tools that threaten freedom and particularly women. Thousands of innocent children are being educated in Taliban’s schools to become adversaries of women’s rights, democracy, progress and freedom. Through extreme religious indoctrination, they are being shaped into a serious threat to the entire world.

Society is controlled by constant surveillance, with police and cameras enforcing strict rules through fear and punishment. Personal expression is restricted, from laughter and fashion to haircuts and clothing, every detail of life is tightly regulated. Women are denied their rights to education, work, art and joy, reduced to mere shadows. The beauty salons have been shut down and some are operating underground, as even makeup and fashion are considered sin. Music and all forms of art and joy are banned, and instruments are destroyed in an act of repression. Progress for women and girls is met with hostility and their dreams are crushed under unrelenting opposition.

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In this grim situation, the spirit of freedom is stifled, leaving only a bleak silence where the hope for freedom and progress seems like a distant dream. But the most painful fact is that the people of Afghanistan have been deliberately left in the grip of this extreme form of fascism by countries that claim to champion democracy and human rights.

The suffocating reality of living under Taliban oppression is powerfully conveyed by a young girl in Afghanistan. When asked how she feels being confined at home, deprived of all her rights as a woman, she closed her eyes and softly replied:

“I feel as if I am wandering through a dense, suffocating, dark and scary fog. Though my eyes are open, I can see nothing but a terrifying void. I rub my eyes, straining to glimpse a path, but all around me is a thick, gray haze.

I walk and run, endlessly lost, while only the voices of restriction echo around me – ‘Do not go there. Do not wear this. Do not laugh. Do not speak aloud.’ These commands are the only things I hear, but there is no direction, no way to escape, no hope, no one to rescue me. This is what it feels like to live under the Taliban in Afghanistan, trapped in a world where my dreams are stifled and my future remains a shadow in a dark and oppressive fog.”

• Anonymous is a woman living in Afghanistan

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