Escape towards the Fire; A research about girls and women life in Herat

By: Tamim Hamid

2014 publication | April 2013

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It is September 2012 – eleven years after the international community stepped inside Afghanistan, but still we witness women and girls with dark days such as the dark days before 2001.

I am Tamim Hamid.

I repeatedly heard and watched in the media that women in Herat face much different violence that the other parts of Afghanistan.

Therefore, it took months to prepare this research about some of the women who have gone through violence. 

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I heard surprising stories from tens of women and girls in Herat province, after a two-day attempt to reach them.

–         “Mrs ….. What do you think how the violence emerges against women? “

–         “What do you mean by violence?”

–         “Well, I mean, were you ever beaten by members of your family?”

–         “Come on! Can you find a woman who is never beaten? I don’t think if you can find a woman in Afghanistan or at least in Herat who has never faced violence!”

Parimah’s Story

A young girl is sitting in front of me, with endless tears – a girl with big eyes and tawny skin in her seventeen. I met her in the Shelter along with tens of others gathered to seek justice for the violence committed towards them.

Her name is Parimah; four men abducted Parimah from Center of Badghis province few months ago and raped her.

“They took me and tied my hands and raped me, they returned and threw me home after two days.”

–         “Who were they, Parimah?

–         “The commander …., his son, his bodyguard and one more person.”

But, what about the culprits, what will be done to them?

Parimah’s parents say Parimah’s brother-in-law was arrested instead of the four men who raped her.

She continued seeking justice; and with the cooperation of a women rights organization in Herat, three of the suspects were arrested and Parimah’s brother-in-law released.

“We transferred the girl to Qalai Naw (capital of Badghis) in the night and in a worse situation; the perpetrators are so influenced there and there was high possibility of attacking us.” tells a member of the women rights organization that helped Parimah.

For Parimah, the world is briefed in one sentence:

–         “I will put myself ablaze; I will burn myself if they don’t get punishments.”

I told her:

–         Is this the solution? You leave and let them to live in comfort?

–         What to do? I don’t have any other solution.”

A new chapter has newly opened in Parimah’s life; she should wait for months to see them get punishment – the people who destroyed her life.

Parimah’s only supporters are her old mother and father. After the incident, Parimah’s fiancé also left her – to escape the dishonour, Parimah’s fiancé could not marry her!

Escape towards the Fire

It is the last days of April 2013 – 11 years, 6 months and 15 days after 11 September 2001, but still 70 women and girls commit self immolation in a year to end the violation they faced through their life.

Previously, the toll for self immolation in Herat province was 100 people in a year, but currently, 30 % of the women in Herat learned that self immolation is not the only way to end the violence against women – they must fight for it.

“There are still many problems; self immolation is slightly reduced, but honour killings have increased instead. It rarely happens to arrest and punish the perpetrators of such killings; these killings are treated so common; if death body of a woman found, people will say she might have done something wrong that her family killed her.” Tells a woman rights activist in Herat province.

“There are many murder cases left untapped, someone calls from a village and tells that a woman or a girl killed her own self and was buried silently. Unfortunately no one records it to find out the facts and no one records the death toll of the women who end up their life with poison.”

One Thousand Complaints in a Year

Amid the efforts to reduce violence against women in Herat province, the violence against women increased about 30 %.

Nearly 1,000 people visited Women Affairs Department of Herat province in 2012 complaining about various violence they faced. Local authorities say maximum of these cases have been solved and some are followed by legal and judicial institutes; some of the women moved to Shelters. The authorities in Herat Women Affairs Department emphasize, a boost in the number of complainers indicates women’s awareness and access to their rights, but also a number of women authorities in Herat emphasize that it can not cover the other dark side of the story that tells the lack of access to justice in some districts!

Women authorities in the province say “Having access to justice exists in the cities; but the districts with higher rate of violence have limited access to justice, judgments happen there unofficially; though a traditional glance towards women results in unfair judgment towards women.”

I will kill my daughter, while she is released!

Some of the prisoners’ visitors say their relatives are imprisoned regarding the “Honour” issues. People are coming to Herat central jail from remote districts to visit their family members in jail; they stay the night near by the prison to visit their imprisoned family member earlier.

I tried many times during the evenings to talk with few of the people, whose son or daughter is imprisoned, and I could find a man named Eysa (a pseudonym) aged about 45 years; he looked so exhausted with a load of depression appears from his face.

At first, he was invective towards me; but later he was ready to talk in case I don’t reveal his identity.

“I came from …… district; I am here to visit my daughter.” Her daughter is imprisoned on charge of “attempt to adultery” – a charge that convicts 72 people in Herat in the recent year.  Thus, the behaviour of governmental authorities towards such convicts is often criticized by Women Rights Organizations:

“Well, they haven’t done any crime; but it is hard to define “Attempt to Rape” for a family living in a village. Everyone thinks his daughter committed adultery and therefore she is imprisoned in Herat jail.”

Eysa’s 20 years old daughter was in love affairs with the neighbour’s boy; apparently another family living in the neighbourhood understood about their relation and handed them over to police. Eysa replied about his feeling towards his daughter and the accusation on her:

–          “She is died for me; she has left no reputation, prestige and honour; I visit her to somehow annihilate this ….. and I will kill that bastard boy!”

A Return to the Past

It is December 2012 – 11 years, 2 months and 7 days after 11 September 2001.

–          “I don’t know; I don’t know who Parimah is.” tells the man with anger, while understood about me and my questions on Parimah.

–          “You are her sister-in-law, you must be the only one in Badghis who knows her very well, and she is in Herat now, why don’t you help her.”

–          Why would I help? Isn’t it enough that I am in jail now and lost my prestige? I can’t do anything brother, I don’t want to involve myself.” Responded Parimah’s sister-in-law regarding the commander who has committed this act. He looked around and slowly told me:

–          “They (the boy’s family) are powerful people and will be released in the nearest future; they will turn our life to disaster; Parimah’s family is a problem itself, I won’t be able to live in comfort.”

Not only him, but Parimah’s neighbours also feared to comment about the incident; but it is clear that Parimah can no more come to the locality, because everyone ignores to see her!

 It looks like the main criminal is the innocent girl, not the influenced local commander and his companions.

I moved to find Parimah’s ex-fiancé and ask him the reason he did not stand beside Parimah to help her, but no one is ready to provide me with his address, even Parimah’s sister-in-law.

The local authorities also describe the case as an incident that took place, saying all those involved are prosecuted and arrested.

Apparently, everything ended in Badghis, but there in Herat, a girl remains in darkness and her only solution is to embrace the fire; not to escape the darkness, but to burn and turn to ashes!

Shelters

Herat with the only one Shelter operates throughout the province. It has been established by Nedai Zan “Woman Voice” in Herat, Ghor, Badghis, Farah and Nimroz provinces. The women and girls in these Shelters completely benefit any facilities there; however they don’t find themselves secure in these Shelters!

Families of some of the girls in Shelter are even putting efforts to kill their daughters assuming her the reason for dishonouring their families.

Suraya Pakzad, head of Nedai Zan:

“For example, a woman’s brother asked to visit her sister in the Shelter; surprisingly we found a knife hidden among the grapes, he wanted to attack her sister with the knife he brought.” 

High security measures are taken in Herat Shelter – beyond imagination – there are three gates and many other security checks to reach the Shelter.

According to Suraya Pakzad, security guards of the Shelter were several times attacked and many times there were attempts to reach the Shelter wearing police uniform, but fortunately all the attempts were failed, however the security institutions in Herat do not play an important role in maintaining the security of the Shelter.

My Father told me to “take care” of this man!

There are 50 up to 80 women and girls in Herat Shelter at a time; soon, a number of them return to their families according to the court’s judgment, but necessarily few of them remain in Shelter for un-know period of time.

12 years old Salma “pseudonym” was in Shelter from past one year. She was 11 while her father married her with a 50 years old man against a big amount of money. The man with married sons was a widower and the only purpose to marry Salma was to take care of him in his older age.

“This man has daughter-in-laws, but they are not of his of close relationships, therefore he married the girl to take care of him at this age.” tells an employee of Herat Shelter.

While I asked Salma how she made it into the house of this old man, she replies with a childish dialect:

“My father told me I should take care of this man.”

Salma still doesn’t know she is married and the old man is her husband!

–          “Were you living along with that old man? Were you sleeping together?”

–          “No, he was sleeping in the bed; I was sleeping out of the bed.”

Finally, Salma goes fed up with her life and quits the old man’s house, but her family is probably angry that their daughter dishonoured them by this act.

Parimah?

This time I am not able to find Parimah in Herat Shelter.

I was in contact with her during past months and learned that her case was sent to the court.

Unbelievably I heard about the appeal court’s verdict in the recent days:

“Her case is clear; the primary and the appeal court strongly sentenced the man, his son and his bodyguard to 20 years imprisonment each, even to 35 years, but 35 years imprisonment is not applicable in Afghanistan law. They committed two crimes – abduction and rape – the fourth person is also disappeared and must be prosecuted.”

Finally, Parimah could reach justice in a year – a justice Parimah needed!

Everyone lost hope for the punishment of these influenced men who were supported by some local authorities and even ministries.

I sought Parimah’s current whereabouts and her condition, but I am told no one will say even a word about Parimah due to security issues.

“It is important that Parimah’s family fully supports her and the girl’s morale is also good. The justice has been implemented to some extend and now the future is at her own hands.”