Underground Girls of Afghanistan

8/16/2019 Underground Girls of Afghanistan

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UNDERGROUND

GIRLSOFKABUL

BY

JENNY NORDBERG

-A New York-based foreign cand a columnist for wedis! national newspap

Dagbladet-#er group t!at researc!ed American

Railroad %stem won t!e &ulit'er &ri'


2/17

BUT NOT AN AFGHAN WOM• I would love to be any thing in

this worldBut not a woman

• I could be a parrot I could be a female sheepI could be a deer or A sparrow living in a tree

• But not an Afghan woman+

• I could be a Turkish lady With a kind brother to take my handI could be Tajik or I could be Iranianor I could be an ArabWith a husband to tell meI am beautiful

• But I am an Afghan woman+


3/17

• Might is right andI am a woman

Always alone Always an example of weaknessMy shoulders are heavy

with the weight of pains+

• When I want to talk My tongue is blamed

My voice causes painra!y ears can"t tolerate meMy hands are uselessI can"t do anything withMy foolish legsI walk with

#o destination+

• $ntil what time must I accept to su%er&

When will nature announce my release&

Where is 'ustice"s house&Who wrote my destiny&Tell him

Tell himTell him

• I would love to be any thing in natureBut not a woman#ot an Afghan woman+

ROYAabul. ())*


4/17

Resear#$• /n Afg!anistan. w!ere societ% is ruled almost entirel% b% men.

son is cause for celebration and t!e arri"al of a daug!ter is ofas a failure+

•#a"ing at least one son is mandator% for good standing and rfamil% is not onl% incomplete wit!out a son. but also. in a courule of law. it is seen as weak and "ulnerable+

• A number of families dressed-up and raised a girl as a bo% caPOSH 0literall% 1dressed up like a bo%2 in Dari3 and presentedto t!e world 4 an accepted 5 uncontro"ersial practice in t!e c

• Ba#$a Pos$ t!en could 6% a kite. ride a !orse. run as fast as !%stericall%. 7ump up 5 down because it feels good. climb treet!rill of !anging on and so on8


5/17

• /mportant 9!aracters in t!e Book:-

•A'ita. -• #erself was a Bac!a &os! and luck% to be

educated wit! !er fat!er;s insistence and support<

• Earned a good name as a sportswoman<

• Got nominated from !er constituenc% and

=rst parliamentar% election under >N supe• As a female parliamentarian. did fantastic!er constituenc% =g!ting for t!eir rig!ts+ ?started calling !er t!e @ioness of Badg!i

• !e c!ose !er %oungest daug!ter to poseonl son


6/17


7/17

•Dr+ $areiba. t!e @son maker;

•Niima alias Abdul ateen w!o worksalesbo% in a s!op

•a!ra alias Naweed. t!e tombo% tew!o struggles wit! pubert% and resparents; attempts to turn !er back

woman<•!ukria alias !ukur. an anaest!esnurse w!o was forced to marr% andt!ree c!ildren after li"ing for twent%as a man and


8/17

T$e Positi%e Side of &Ba#$a Pos• $reedom to attend sc!ool 5 college. pla% out. mo"e f

!orse. s!oot a gun. return late in t!e e"ening. be nauprotect %ounger sisters etc+

• 9on=dence to mo"e wit! pride in societ%. earn monewit! men wit!out !esitation. participate in competitioaspire to be winners+

• ?!e% !a"e positi"e eects on t!e minds of eFpectant

“The made-up baby boy held no practical purpfamily as an infant. But she held a magical one. had been told by friends and neighbours that if turn her girl into a boy! it ould bring her good lluc"! in this case! as a real son. The manoeu$re

helped many families before her% Through $isua


9/17

T$e Ne!ati%e Side of &Ba#$a Po• Responsibilit%: Running to t!e ba'aar. bu%ing food and supplies.

bags of 6our and cans of cooking oil8

• Dicult% in identif%ing wit! @all-women; gat!erings. being-woma

• 1Becoming a man is simple+ ?!e outside is eas% to c!ange+ Goin ?!ere is a feeling inside t!at will ne"er c!ange+2 4 !ukria+

• ?!e% are eFpected b% adult age to become subordinate wi"es a

• Dicult% in transition at t!e time of pubert% and later+ Dr+ $areibis t!at pubert% is 1a dangerous time for t!e mind2. w!en t!e !ueFpands and !elps grow a personalit% and form a gender identit

• *Gender 'dentity (isorder&+ /t is de=ned as 1persistent and iabout being a girl. and a stated desire to be a bo%+2

• H!en t!e female gender is so unwanted. so despised. and so suplace w!ere daug!ters are eFpressl% unwanted. per!aps bot! t!mind of a growing !uman can be eFpected to re"olt against becwoman+


10/17


11/17

M, t$o-!$ts on t$e oo) • Nordberg;s conclusionIt!at women;s rig!ts are essential to 1build

ci"ili'ations2Iis t!e most powerful message of t!is compelling bo

• @Bac!a &os!; is not a new concept nor an%t!ing unusual in Afg!an a!ra;s great-great-grandmot!er was one of t!e man% Bac!a &os!

!e went around as a bo% till s!e got married and dressed like a m%ears during !er life+ !e ser"ed in t!e male position as a land insKK)s+

• ?!e practice was common also in Albania. erbia and some ot!er around+

• a!ra;s grandmot!er:

• 1/t is our tradition from a long time ago+ Afg!an girls dressed as bo%s w!eweapons. onl% bows and arrows+2

• 18it was not 7ust t!e fearless alalai w!o dro"e out in"aders+ Ot!er Afg!acame bot! before and after alalai< t!e grandmot!er !eard t!eir stories mgrowing up+2

• 1Our mot!ers would tell us about t!e bacha posh and t!en we told our owwas before /slam e"en came to Afg!anistan+ He alwa%s knew about it+2

• o. words like @disco"er !idden secret;. @unra"el;. @scoop; are not a


12/17

An Interestin! Aside• /n6uence of arat!ustra

• EFtract from 9!apter L of A"esta:-

1?!e female seed is cold and moist. and its 6ow is frloins< t!e colour is w!ite. red. and %ellow<

1t!e male seed is !ot and dr%. its 6ow is from t!e b!ead. and t!e colour is w!ite and mud-coloured+

1All t!e seed of t!e females w!ic! issues before!anplace wit!in t!e womb. and t!e seed of t!e males will abo"e it. and will =ll t!e space of t!e womb


13/17


14/17


15/17


16/17

HOEN

t!e most dangerous countr% to be a

woman+

Afg!an women recei"ed t!e rig!t to"ote in ** 4 BE$ORE women in >Adid

Afg!an women were t!e ones w!o lost most from t!e war and


17/17

Afg!an women were t!e ones w!o lost most from t!e war and

>nder t!e ?aliban. women and girls were

• Banned from going to sc!ool or stud%ing

•

Banned from working• Banned from lea"ing t!e !ouse wit!out a male c!aperone

• Banned from s!owing t!eir skin in public

• Banned from accessing !ealt!care deli"ered b% men 0wit! wofrom working. !ealt!care was "irtuall% inaccessible3

• Banned from being in"ol"ed in politics or speaking publicl%+

• ade to walk ahead of t!eir male companion+

Residents were ordered to co"er t!eir ground and =rst-6oor winwomen inside could not be seen from t!e street+

Documents

Underground Girls of Afghanistan