American women need to value their voices as the Taliban move to silence Afghan women even further

It has come to my attention that I am incredibly privileged, much more so than I had previously realized. I am privileged because I am currently sitting at my desk in a tank top and shorts, listening to Lana Del Rey, writing my opinion for a quarterly piece published online and printed at my school. I am privileged because women living under the Taliban in Afghanistan cannot even look up from the ground, much less speak. The Associated Press raised this issue to my attention after it was published in late August. I am ashamed I neglected to read it earlier, in which case I would be able to address my grievances against these new laws published by the Taliban in much more depth and discernment. The Taliban published  35 articles in a 114 page document. The Associated Press has shortened their concerns to one topic, and thankfully one I am involved with — women’s rights. More specifically, their identities. I have decided to list my principle concerns thusly, and in quote to the Associated Press.

“Article 13 relates to women. It says it is mandatory for a woman to veil her body at all times in public and that a face covering is essential to avoid temptation and tempting others. Clothing should not be thin, tight, or short. Women should veil themselves in front of all male strangers, including Muslims, and in front of all non-Muslims to avoid being corrupted. A woman’s voice is deemed intimate and so should not be heard singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public. It is forbidden for women to look at men they are not related to by blood or marriage and vice versa …

Article 19 bans the playing of music, the transportation of solo female travelers, and the mixing of men and women who are not related to each other.”

The Associated Press, from Afghanistan’s Taliban Rulers.

I am going to return to my current situation. I am sitting in shorts and a tank top. I am, according to the Taliban, tempting and corrupting. I am writing my opinion. I am, according to the Taliban, too intimate, too educated, too personal according to the Taliban. I am, lastly, playing Lana Del Rey, and in the most ironic twist of fate, her song called This Is What Makes Us Girls. God forbid I ever hear the notes of a song again.

I want to end with some quotes I gathered from six women around the school this afternoon — three students, three faculty, the first question simply ascertaining their thoughts on the passage above. These are some of their responses.

“This article, and the way they portray rules, is completely impossible [for Afghani women] to perfect.”

“You have no independence — you can’t defend yourself.”

“There is no freedom of expression in, like, any form at all.”

“It seems as if they’re almost taking away the humanity of the women. They can’t be an individual or communicate with other people.”

Can you imagine a world without your speech? Your safety? Your identity?  Your safety? Your heart? I for one can’t imagine myself in a world where I am limited to what is, in my opinion, close to an animal.

I asked the interviewees what their most valued right is, as a female. These are their answers.

“Dignity.”

“Your individual freedoms.”

“The right to be free.”

“Everyone wants to feel significant.”

“Safety.”

“Freedom of Speech.”

“I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t express myself.”

Take a minute to think about what your most valued individual right is. What would you do without it? 

I wonder if Lana Del Rey knows anything about the Taliban. But I hope you, at least, have gained some knowledge of the atrocities of our world.