The Lie That's Our Truth: Life in Our Homeland - Hasht-e Subh

A few months after the fall of Kabul, the Taliban continued to impose new restrictive laws daily. On this particular scorching and monotonous summer day, everything seemed devoid of meaning. My mental landscape was steeped in an excessive...

Abandoning Hope: Returning Home, Aspirations Clutched Tight - Hasht-e Subh

Today, once again, I picked up the pen to shout out the voices of girls that remain unheard. Whenever I tried to write about my fate and that of my peers, my pen ran dry, and my mind went blank. Even the pen seems afraid of reflecting our pain and...

Maternal Figures Who Shattered My Destiny - Hasht-e Subh

I am Zainab, the daughter of an Iranian mother and an Afghan father. My parents met and married in Iran, leading a happy life together. With the arrival of my brother and me, their happiness grew even more. We lived a simple yet beautiful life. My...

Fighting Against the Legion of Ignorance - Hasht-e Subh

Her life, like many young women’s, undergoes sudden changes she could never have anticipated. After completing her schooling, and pursuing her passion in law and political science, she begins her studies at a university in Kabul. She makes a...

Life in the Shadow of Terror: The Sinister Smiles of the Taliban During Interrogation Stole My Peace - Hasht-e Subh

Blood and violence poured from their eyes. The gaze they cast instilled terror in your very being. When they looked at you with eyes brimming with hatred and fury, your heart sank in fear. Their eyes evoked the image of a hungry wolf staring at a...

Crisis in Education: Resumption of In-Person Classes Leaves Girls Disheartened Once Again - Hasht-e Subh

After seven days since the commencement of university classes in the cold provinces, female students once again find themselves behind closed university doors. The Taliban Ministry of Higher Education has issued a statement asking male students to...

Sexual Slavery by the Taliban: What Lies Beneath the Skin of the City? - Hasht-e Subh

My friend and I reminisce about the old days, about simple pleasures that brought us great joy, perhaps like going to the Baagh-e Balla or Baagh-e Babur, celebrating Nowruz or Eid, sitting by and absorbing the wisdom and tales of our elders, or...