After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they took away women’s fundamental rights. However, I fought back and eventually received a scholarship from the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) to study psychology in Italy.
At that time, the Taliban issued a new rule banning women and girls from traveling without a mahram. Despite this, my father accompanied me to Kabul airport on October 1, 2023. There, I encountered a terrifying group of people. When they realized I was traveling alone, they escorted us to the Taliban’s central intelligence office at the Kabul airport for interrogation.
Inside their office, even though I was dressed modestly in long clothing, one of the Taliban assigned to interrogate me gave his first order: “Put on a mask!” The tone of his voice filled me with fear. I covered half my face with my headscarf, leaving only my eyes visible. After more than an hour of questioning, the Talib sitting in front of us turned to my father and said:
“Girls are forbidden from traveling without a mahram. How can you call yourself a Muslim when you’re sending your daughter alone to an infidel country? She will go there and return as a non-believer. It is because of reckless people like you that we banned women from traveling alone. We will never allow people like you to tarnish the name of Islam and the Islamic Emirate.”
His voice was harsh and threatening as he spoke to my father, warning him. Each of his words shattered me inside, filling my eyes with darkness and sorrow. A heavy chain of despair tightened around my throat. With tearful eyes, I returned home, my hard-earned educational opportunity lost forever. I was left with a dark world, filled with misfortune and suffering under the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan.
But I did not give up. I took advantage of every opportunity available to me. I participated in online and distance-learning programs, leadership courses, and public speaking classes. This way, I avoided stopping my education and protected my mind and spirit from harm.
These online courses and psychology classes helped me remain strong, and I learned so much that I am now able to teach other girls who have been deprived of education. I am still searching for better academic opportunities so that I can help both myself and other young women in need.
