This Afghan Life

The everyday life of an Afghan woman, in pictures.

By Leslie Knott, 9 Apr 2007, TheTyee.ca

Afghanistgan woman with child

Rona and Hassan in Maimana, Afghanistan. Photo by Leslie Knott.

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After decades of civil war, Afghanistan has become synonymous with military, Taliban, terror and the abysmal treatment of women. But it was not always so.

Thirty years ago, the Afghan government was recruiting women to drive buses, fly planes and work as scientists. For a brief window in history, women, especially in Kabul, were encouraged to participate in the economic future of their country.

But while women have suffered in the "dark time" of the last thirty years, they have still made many quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) contributions to their country. From secret schools to beauty salons, Afghan women have persevered.

Today, while fighting continues in many regions, and the government takes its first shaky steps toward true democracy, the people of Afghanistan continue to live their daily lives. Bread is baked, school is attended, weddings are celebrated and babies are born.

This photo essay showcases the daily life of Rona Sherzai, one of the Afghan women I worked with for two years in Maimana, in northern Afghanistan. Rona is the station manager for a new women's radio station, Radio Quyaash.

The future outlook for the women I worked with is realistic, but still hopeful. As Bilquis Samadi, a female Afghan journalist said, "I would love to ride a bike, ride a motorcycle or ride a horse, but these are all dreams that will come with me to paradise."

The photos are part of a presentation, Afghanistan: Images of War and Culture, being held Wednesday, April 11, at 7:30pm at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver (1100 Chestnut Street), a benefit held by Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. The presentation will feature frontline photos of Canadian troops in combat and behind-the-scenes images of an imperiled people. Tickets are $15 at the door and all money raised will go directly to education projects and salaries of schoolteachers in Afghanistan. [Tyee]

Leslie Knott worked for two years in the Faryab province in northern Afghanistan setting up a radio station for women. For the past ten years she has worked as a journalist and photographer in Vancouver and other far flung locales. She currently lives in London, England.

12 Comments:

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  • reality_check

    5 years ago

    The Persecution of Men in Afghanistan

    "The Taliban then started to search houses for men and weapons. They immediately killed males as young as 14 and as old as 70 while family members watched helplessly. There were corpses everywhere, and the city stank with the smell of the dead whom nobody dared bury. I saw several groups of young men, their hands tied behind their backs, as they were forced to walk to prison. The men who survived the mass killing and imprisonment were not allowed to leave their homes."
    http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20011001/ai_n10731133

    Let's not forget the thousands of dead Afghan men who cannot speak because they were killed by the Talibans, when they gained power after the Russians left.

    While I deplore the persecution of women in Afghanistan by the Talibans, let's not forget that not just women are persecuted. Children are persecuted. Men are persecuted too. Many men were killed by the Talibans. Many men are killed today by the Talibans. While I appreciate the passion of Leslie Knott to describe one side of the story, I wish she could show less sexism and show all sides of the story. What do you think would happen to a Afghan man if he were to confront the Talibans? Read on.

    Here are 2 examples of articles depicting the persecution of men who are just as unhappy as women under Taliban rule.

    http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-80847339.html

    http://www.australiandefencereport.com.au/11-06/refugees_face_new_threat_of_ejec.htm

    The Talibans are terrible religious extremists persecuting ALL people who do not follow their extremist religious rules. Women. Children. And, yes, men too.

    Let's stop sexism.

  • jimtan

    5 years ago

    Let's check our timeline

    Afghanistan has had a tragic modern history. The communists seized power in 1978. In the process of modernization, there was a civil war which drew in the Soviets.

    The Soviet army withdrew in 1989 and the country disintegrated into another civil war. The Taliban was a late development. They seized Kabul only in 1996.

    Afghan society is complex and different from what we are familiar with. For example, it was under the communist regime that women received the greatest rights.

    The current parliament in Kabul is dominated by conservatives who are not receptive to women emancipation.

    There are some who view the warlords as a lesser evil than the Taliban. Apparently, there are others who don't.

    All is not as it seems.

  • Chris H

    5 years ago

    Nice pictures.

    Those were some beautiful shots.

    Why is it that in 2007, we still see misogynist policies and practices? And, by supposed religious people? Is there any wonder why Dawkins' ideas are becoming increasingly popular.

    "The current parliament in Kabul is dominated by conservatives who are not receptive to women emancipation." It is starting to make sense that in CIV4 that the first to discover Liberalism learns something new for free.

  • Bobbi

    5 years ago

    Four Children under the age of five

    One of the captions of photos states she has four children under the age of five, three of the children have cerebral palsy. I have five kids under eight, access to world class medicare, a part time journalism job, and a spouse with a good job. It can be exhausting and all I need to do for heat is tap on a keyboard and my furnace kicks in for my whole home. They need a propane heater for a single room, something I would only use camping and in an outdoor space because of concern for fumes.

    Never underestimate their courage and stregth, I'm in awe.

  • Jeffrey J.

    5 years ago

    US Created Taliban

    Why is it so hard for westerners to keep in mind who set the Taliban in motion?? Whilst the USSR was trying to conquer Afganistan, the US was actively opposing it. In their efforts, the US funded anti-communist groups which largely consisted of extreme religious groups. The West poured millions of dollars into the Taliban until the Russians were driven out. The US then walked away from this project, leaving women defenceless against the religous extremists the US created. Just like the US support of Saddam Hussein, the US continuously sets in motion the Law of Unintended Consequences. And then they deny it. The motive for US and Canadian occupation of Afganistan has little if nothing to do with helping women. Just look at the Bush/Harper view of women in our own country. The West invaded for reasons more to do with oil and power, just like the USSR before them. What a mess.

  • BC Dude

    5 years ago

    "It's important to realize

    "It's important to realize that whenever you give power to politicians or bureaucrats, it will be used for what they want, not for what you want."-- Harry Browne

    "Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." -- Pericles, 430 B.C.
    We sit here discusing the plight of the very poor/evil conditions in the "OCCUPATION" not war of these people for the reason of an Exxon, KinderMorgan pipe line to the sea
    In BC our own Trecherious campbell cartel is doing the same give away of OUR kids future. He should be in prison with all his gutless stealth traitors.
    to KM
    http://bctrialofbasi-virk.blogspot.com/

  • BC Dude

    5 years ago

    Harper with family (barff)

    Harper with family (barff) saying a how WE Canadians were a New Country of Democracy and Freedom at the same time behind OUR Canadian backs he is stealthily breaking up (with Corporate sell out to NAFTA, NWO, TILMA) OUR CANADA
    The msm is in a conspiracy to commit treason against US the CANADIAN PEOPLE!

  • Bluenose

    5 years ago

    Beautiful Images

    These images and the accompanying text are beautiful and awe-inspiring. These women are incredibly courageous and more than deserve whatever support we can offer them.

  • G West

    5 years ago

    The image of photo No 1

    has an almost Madonna and child quality to it but all the pictures are truly wonderful.

    Not sure how much they tell us about the realities for the majority of the people in Afghanistan.

    I hope that Canada will be sensitive and generous enough about the things this country supposedly believes in that some of these folks will be allowed to come here as immigrants when and if the current project falls apart.

    Lovely, sad, stuff. Thank you.

  • Fii

    5 years ago

    "I would love to ride a

    "I would love to ride a bike, ride a motorcycle or ride a horse, but these are all dreams that will come with me to paradise."

    Wow. Nice photos... and Reality Check, thanks for reminding us of the persecution of men, too- but it is not sexist of the author to focus on the women. She's a feminist and that's what we do. Get over it.

  • Jack's

    5 years ago

    warlords?

    It's very strange that the Taliban movement is funded. And I'm surprised that the warlords, who in reality run Afghanistan, put up with such an extremist group.
    Foreigners and foreign armies don't belong there. NATO is there under the guise of liberation but it's difficult to convince the Afghans when NATO is the cause of most of the bloodshed.

  • reality_check

    5 years ago

    What would the world be without religion ...

    ... and drug prohibition?

    There is abundant evidence to show that the more educated a population is the less religious they are (as they are able to criticially analyze the incongruities that permeate its dogma). As with so-called "communist" dictatorships or right-wing dictatorships, leaders --be it religious or political-- recognize that educators and education is an ennemy, hence the killing of all learned people and suppression of education (or torching/bombing,... of schools). But, it could be argued that it is the extremists, the manicheist extremists --be it Palestinian, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Muslim,...-- that lead to all of those problems. Are these people manipulator (they know full well all this is BS, but they use to gain stature, power, or wealth) or are they really real believers who are manicheist and extremist? Are these manipulators or believers manipulated by outside bodies (CIA, KGB, Interpol,...) for political and economic reasons (arm dealers, Halliburton type of companies,...)? As in Israel and Palestine, most of the inhabitants (without the interference of the zealots) are willing to compromise. To what extent is the situation in Afghanistan related to the prohibition of drugs here?

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