Her notes provide a window into the lives and struggles of young Afghan girls, particularly Hazaras, living under the Taliban. Modaqeq shared with NPR some of the pages of Marzia's diary, where she meticulously details her aspirations, sets goals for herself, discusses the struggles she endures, and every once in a while, takes a moment to congratulate her achievements.
"She was average student in high school, but following the Taliban takeover she was determined more than ever to complete her education and achieve goals," he said. However, the adversity of the situation only served to fuel Marzia and Hajar's motivation, Modaqeq said. Millions of young Afghan girls, including Marzia's siblings, have been out of school for over a year. Predictably, since the Taliban has taken over, it has imposed many restrictions on women's freedoms, including the closure of girls' high schools. Hazara women are not only discriminated against and often killed because of their gender identity, but also because of their Hazara identity," she said. "An important aspect of the ongoing targeted attacks against the Hazaras that is consistently overlooked is the disproportionate impact on women," said Anis Rezaei, a Hazara academic who is currently pursuing a master's degree at Oxford University. A report published last month by the advocacy group Human Rights Watch documented 16 attacks against Hazaras that killed or injured at least 700 people. They have been systematically discriminated against and denied their most basic human rights," she said.Īttacks against Hazaras - largely Shia Muslims who have been historically persecuted by Sunni militant groups - have increased significantly in the past year since the Taliban takeover. "These girls were targeted and attacked both because they were female and because they were from a persecuted minority. The tragic death of Marzia and Hajar alongside dozens of other Hazara Afghan girls in a horrific suicide bombing at a learning centre in Kabul is utterly heart-wrenching," Shafak told NPR in an email. "It broke my heart to learn how they loved reading literature and how they loved reading my novels.
The murders have evoked widespread condemnations and calls for justice globally, including from Marzia and Hajar's idol, Shafak.
0 kommentar(er)
