Afghanistan: Woman protests Taliban's education ban with single word of God - BBC

"I did not consciousness immoderate fearfulness due to the fact that I believed that my request is just," said a defiant 18-year-old Afghan pistillate whose ambition to get a assemblage grade has been frustrated by the Taliban's prohibition connected women successful higher education.

Angered astatine the imaginable of seeing her aboriginal disappear, the pistillate (whose sanction we person changed for her safety) staged an bonzer solo protestation successful beforehand of Kabul University, invoking words from the Quran.

On Sunday 25 December, Adela stood successful beforehand of the entranceway holding up a committee with a peculiarly almighty connection written connected it successful Arabic - iqra, oregon 'read'. Muslims judge this was the archetypal connection revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by God.

"God has fixed america the close to education. We request to beryllium acrophobic of God, not the Taliban who privation to instrumentality distant our rights," she told the BBC Afghan service.

"I knew that they dainty the protesters precise badly. They bushed them, deed them, usage weapons - they utilized Tasers and h2o cannon connected them. But inactive I stood successful beforehand of them.

"At archetypal they didn't instrumentality maine seriously. Later, 1 of the gunmen asked maine to leave."

Initially, Adela refused to spell and stood her ground, but the insubstantial committee she was holding gradually caught the attraction of the equipped guards astir her.

While clutching the placard, she started engaging a subordinate of the Taliban.

"I asked him, 'Can't you work what I person written?'," she said.

He said nothing, truthful Adela went further: "Can't you work the connection of God?"

"He became aggravated and threatened me."

Her placard was taken distant and she was forced to permission aft astir 15 minutes of her lone demonstration.

While she was protesting, her elder sister had been sitting successful a taxi taking pictures and signaling a video of the protest.

"The taxi operator became precise frightened of the Taliban. He was pleading with my sister to halt filming. Fearing trouble, helium asked her to permission the car," Adela said.

Following the hasty withdrawal of the American-led planetary forces, the Taliban returned to powerfulness successful Afghanistan successful August 2021.

First they banned girls from going to secondary schools. In September this year, they banned girls from studying definite subjects and told them they could lone take universities wrong their province.

Women, particularly assemblage students person been protesting against the prohibition connected acquisition ever since.

Some person utilized the slogan "women, life, freedom" popularised by the caller demonstrations successful Iran.

Officials astatine Kabul University, wherever 4 faculties are presently headed by women, told the BBC that pistillate professors were not allowed to participate the field now.

Protesting against the Taliban is not casual for women specified arsenic Adela. She wants men to amusement akin courage, but it tin travel with a cost.

"During my protest, a young antheral wanted to marque a video of maine to enactment me. They deed him hard," she said.

One antheral prof tore up his acquisition diplomas connected a unrecorded TV amusement to registry his protestation and sources person told the BBC that much than 50 assemblage teachers person resigned successful protest.

One teacher who gave up his occupation said that helium withdrew his resignation aft helium was beaten up by the Taliban.

But Adela believes that it is important that Afghan men articulation the struggle.

"There are precise fewer men successful Afghanistan who basal with america now. In Iran, men basal with their sisters and enactment women's rights. If we besides basal unneurotic for the close to education, we volition beryllium 100% successful," she said.

There is outer unit connected the Taliban arsenic well: the UN Security Council said connected Tuesday that the banning of girls and women from education "represents an expanding erosion for the respect of quality rights and cardinal freedoms".

But Taliban leaders look unfazed. Education curate Nida Mohammad Nadim was quoted successful the Guardian arsenic saying the decisions would not beryllium reversed "even if they driblet an atomic weaponry connected us".

Adela is likewise determined.

"If I cannot fly, I volition run. If I cannot run, I volition instrumentality dilatory steps. If I cannot bash that either, I volition crawl. But I volition not halt my struggle, my resistance," she said.

She says she tin number connected the enactment and appreciation of her friends. "You are truthful brave and we each are with you," they archer her.

Adela besides believes that women successful Afghanistan contiguous are amended placed to triumph this combat than successful erstwhile generations.

"We don't privation to spell backmost to the acheronian ages of 20 years ago. We are braver than the women of that time, due to the fact that we are much educated and cognize our rights," she said.