Province: Kunduz
My name is Hameeda, and I was born in Kunduz province. Because of the ongoing war in Kunduz, my father did not allow me to attend school. We lived in the district of Dasht-e-Archi, where nearly everyone was affiliated with the Taliban, and our only concern was survival. The first and last place we went to study was the mosque, and even that was only when we were young. Once we became teenagers, we were no longer allowed to go there either.
When I was fifteen, we moved to Badakhshan due to the prolonged conflict. At the age of twenty, my father forced me into an engagement with a mullah. Out of deep respect for my father, I could not oppose the decision of the elders. A year later, I got married. My husband was a mullah studying in Pakistan. Just a month after our wedding, he returned to Pakistan and stayed there for a year.
During that time, I gave birth to our daughter. He insisted that we move to Pakistan to be with him. I was never happy in the marriage. He was much older than me, harsh, and abusive. After some time, I told him we should visit my family in Afghanistan. He agreed. Once we arrived, I told my family I wanted a divorce. This was a shocking decision for my father.
After many arguments and conflicts, and despite opposition from all my relatives, I divorced him and sought refuge in a safe house. Around that time, the Taliban returned to power. Since my husband was a mullah, he joined the Taliban and wanted to reunite with me.
I did not give in. But he used his connections with the Taliban and took my daughter from me. Even before our divorce, he had threatened to take her so I would never see her again. After the divorce, he followed through. It has now been about four years since I last saw my daughter. I do not know how she is or even what color her hair is.
When we separated, she was one year old. Now she is five, and I have never had the chance to see her again. I only pray for her. I hope that no woman in this country endures the pain I have experienced, and that every woman has the chance to pursue her dreams.
