By Zahra Nader and Kreshma Fakhri (Initially revealed in Zan Occasions)
It was late July 2023 when information started to flow into on social media: The Taliban have been going to stone to demise an single couple for eloping. The story was repeated in a number of native media sources inside Afghanistan, together with the nation’s well-known newspaper, 8 Am, which quoted sources saying that the stoning would happen the subsequent day, July 29.
In the long run, the couple was not stoned to demise final summer season. As an alternative, the Taliban sentenced them to 5 years in jail in Baghlan province, sources near the couple inform Zan Occasions. When the day of their execution handed and not using a public stoning, curiosity within the story of the lovers evaporated. However up to now 5 months, Zan Occasions pieced collectively what occurred to Qadria and Atiq. She is a 28-year-old instructor who’s married and a mom of three, whereas he’s a 35-year-old head instructor, who can also be married and the daddy of six.
Although the crime with which the Taliban charged them isn’t clear – native and senior Taliban spokesmen, together with Zabihullah Mujahid, refused to supply data on the case to Zan Occasions even after being requested a minimum of 14 instances to supply or affirm particulars – by talking to the couple’s households, family, and associates, we present how one private determination – to like somebody and elope – can change their life and people of their households.
Who’re they and the way their relationship began?
Qadria was a 17-year-old highschool pupil when her household married her to her cousin, Mohammad Azam. “She didn’t agree with the wedding; she didn’t like her husband, and he or she needed to check and grow to be a lawyer,” explains a faculty good friend. Her marriage was a bride trade, which means Qadria’s brother additionally married her husband’s sister.
After the wedding, Qadria’s husband took her to a distant district of Baghlan, the place she had no alternative to take the college entrance examination and pursue her dream of a authorized profession. Reluctantly, Qadria accepts her destiny and turns into a mom. Whereas elevating her kids, she takes a instructor coaching course after which begins work as schoolteacher.
Finally, they moved to Pul-e Khumri metropolis, the capital of Baghlan province, the place Qadria’s dad and mom lived. Qadria discovered a job in Zamirabad, a major college for girls and boys as much as the sixth grade. It was there that she met Atiq, who was the varsity’s headmaster. Shortly after Qadria began her new job, her husband left for Iran to search out work.
A number of sources, together with associates and colleagues of Qadria, say that it was throughout her husband’s time in Iran that she started a romantic relationship with Atiq. “Throughout the days when her husband was absent, Qadria spent her time together with her three kids,” a detailed good friend tells Zan Occasions. “Nights stuffed with longing and despair made her attachment to Atiq develop, and ultimately, she determined to stick with her love.”
In distinction, her husband, Mohammad Azam, claims that he and Qadria “had a cheerful life collectively” throughout their 12 years of marriage. He says he by no means imagined that Qadria would depart him for an additional man and claims that Qadria didn’t depart him willingly.
Qadria’s father, Abdul Khalil Rahmani, says that his household’s disaster started on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, when his daughter went to work on the college however by no means returned dwelling that evening. He says that they looked for Qadria for days earlier than discovering that Atiq had taken her to Kabul. Of their first interview with Zan Occasions, Qadria’s dad and mom claimed that Atiq “kidnapped” her. Abdul Khalil Rahmani filed a grievance in opposition to Atiq with the Taliban, which launched a hunt for the couple.
Weeks later, the Taliban arrested the couple in Kabul and transferred them to Kelagai jail in Baghlan province, the place Qadria and Atiq are imprisoned to today.
Atiq’s father has a totally completely different account of what occurred. Najibullah Sediqi tells Zan instances that Atiq and Qadria weren’t in a romantic relationship. He alleges that Qadria’s husband divorced her over the telephone, and when Qadria needed to formalize this divorce in court docket, her father prevented her and threatened to kill her. So Qadria turned to Atiq, asking for his assist to flee her abusive father.
To again up his story, Najibullah Sediqi shared a brief voice message of a girl who launched herself as Qadria. Within the one-minute-26-second audio file, the lady states, “Two years in the past, my husband divorced me over the telephone, I knowledgeable my father, and he beat me, saying even when he divorced you 100 instances and by no means got here again for an additional 10 years, sit quietly in his title as his spouse. I reminded him many instances about being divorced, however they beat and threatened to kill me.”
The feminine voice seems stilted, as if she is studying from a script. Since we couldn’t confirm whether or not it’s Qadria’s voice, we performed the recording for her father, who confirmed that the voice belonged to Qadria.
Each her father and husband insist that no divorce had taken place. Qadria’s father denies ever trying to hurt her, as a substitute, he says he introduced Qadria and her kids to his home to look after her. He says he was knowledgeable concerning the romantic relationship when Atiq’s spouse as soon as got here to his home and requested him to cease Qadria from assembly her husband. One of many neighbours confirms the incident: “There was a commotion within the alley. Atiq’s spouse had come to confront Qadria, telling her, ‘You shameless and disgraced lady. You’re a married lady with kids; why are you speaking to my husband?’”
Arrest on costs of committing ethical crimes
Eloping or working away from dwelling has lengthy been a punishable “ethical crime” despite the fact that many ladies have been fleeing home violence. In Might 2013, Human Rights Watch (HRW) requested the U.S.-backed Afghan authorities to “take pressing steps to halt an alarming enhance in girls and women imprisoned for ‘ethical crimes.’” By Might 2013, HRW reported that about 600 girls and women have been imprisoned for such “ethical crimes,” a quantity that was quickly rising. In 2012, HRW “documented that some 95 % of women and 50 % of ladies imprisoned in Afghanistan have been accused of the ‘ethical crimes’ of ‘working away’ from dwelling or zina (intercourse exterior of marriage).”
And stoning for the “crime” of elopement didn’t start with the return of the Taliban. In 2015, a teenage woman named Rukhshana was stoned to demise after being caught eloping together with her lover. “She was buried waist deep in grime and stoned to demise in October 2015 by a gang of males the federal government mentioned have been Taliban,” Mujib Mashal and Zahra Nader reported in a narrative for the New York Occasions, revealed in July 2017. The incident shocked the nation.
On the time, we might level to 1 or two “lawless afghan provinces” the place there was no justice and worth for ladies. Now that the Taliban is in cost, all of Afghanistan is a lawless nation for ladies. No infraction of the Taliban’s harsh code is simply too small. Since January 2024, Taliban forces have arrested girls out in public on allegations that they weren’t correctly observing the Taliban’s prescribed costume code.
The results of such harsh measures is that many lovers aren’t allowed to depart their houses on Valentine’s Day, not to mention to have a good time their love. The times when a younger era of Afghans celebrated the romantic day with truffles, pink roses and coronary heart formed balloons are actually a distant reminiscence. Previously two years, the Taliban have banned any celebration of Valentine’s Day. They forestall any trace of celebration by patrolling the streets and present retailers on February 14. Anybody defying the foundations is persecuted. Now, despair quite than hope grips the nation’s younger, who can’t have a good time their love in public.
The social penalties of Qadria and Atiq’s arrest
Whereas the connection between Qadria and Atiq is a private alternative of two grownup people, in Afghanistan, it’s also a criminal offense that impacts their households and family. People and households really feel the results based mostly on their proximity to or distance from the accused. On this kinship chain, in fact, it’s at all times the lady or the woman who bears vital blame for dishonouring and bringing disgrace to the household.
Qadria’s household has grow to be socially remoted for the reason that information of Qadria and Atiq’s arrests grew to become public, a household good friend who lives in the identical neighbourhood tells Zan Occasions. Her mom hardly ever participates in social gatherings and plenty of family have minimize ties together with her household. “They stopped mingling together with her household as a result of they’re indignant with them and requested why they didn’t kill Qadria to revive the household and tribe’s honour?” the good friend explains.
Abdul Khalil Rahmani, Qadria’s father, says his daughter has repeatedly mentioned that she regrets her actions: “She says I made a mistake, father, I made an enormous mistake. I ruined my household and my kids’s destiny. However now that she admits her mistake, it doesn’t assist; the household’s honour can’t be restored.”
Fawzia, Qadria’s mom, says that their family and neighbours scolded and humiliated her when the information of her daughter’s disappearance unfold: “The ache and humiliation are overwhelming. Might not God convey my destiny upon my enemy even!” Fawzia tells Zan Occasions in a telephone interview. Now, she is caring for Qadria’s kids. “From morning until night, the kids cry, asking me to convey their mom to them,” Fawzia says. The youngest isn’t but three years outdated.
As for Qadria, her life in Kelagai jail in Baghlan has been harsh. She had been overwhelmed a number of instances, together with being whipped 150 instances for an alleged protest contained in the jail, says a supply who’s acquainted with her state of affairs behind bars. “She has been overwhelmed so severely that she might barely transfer her physique,” the supply explains. “Her total physique was bruised.”
Freshta Ghani contributed to this report.
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