Never Surrender, Never Give Up the Fight

It was a Tuesday of Triumph, a Triumph of men who were in support of ruling this
nation by a faithful interpretation of Islam.

Armored vehicles with Taliban flags paraded in celebration in the Afghan city of
Kandahar. The crowds were in great joy raising and waving flags to the Taliban song.
The day of America’ defeat, the rebirth of the Islamic Emirate——reasons for proud
men and boys——marked a historical success of Taliban regaining power and
winning the heart.

A succession of blast of shells slashed the sky in half. In the other side, wrathful
silence of women and girls, absorbed into Happiness from the streets outside, filled
the air at home with an agony of their destroyed freedom and rights.

Sumaira Saeedi could no longer go outside to join a celebration, nor study and work
as their brothers did. She watched the sky at the window, through which a bird flew a
few seconds ago. “ The bird has my wings,” she murmured and flashed back to her
days in Nangarhar University in the eastern city of Jalalabad. In the third year of
studies in s journalism program, the Taliban barred female students from universities
when she was about to achieve her goal to become a voice for women and girls.

Memories, namely a broken hope and dream, made her breathless again. Saeedi
should be finishing her degree and looking for the first job, instead, she stayed at
home, deprived her right to an education. All the edicts of Taliban against women and
girls, one after another shoved them into a hell of distorted religion and patriarchy.
Public punishment, violence and execution would be a cost if anyone dared to voice.

4 months after being forced to leave school, Saeedi was in great pain like a walking
dead person. 20 girls she knew were lost in depression and anxiety as well. Shiba
Faisal, the most optimistic among these girls, started to stay active by doing things
like carpet weaving, sewing, embroidery and handicrafts. Soon she encouraged others
to keep busy and hopeful, hoping one day they would be able to resume their studies
pursue their dreams. Saeedi, with all her courage gathered up, turned to poetry as a
cure.

“ Poetry gives me hope to carry on, but to see other girls lose lives in vain to voice for
the rest of them is a shame, a shame of living a timid life, ” She wrote the day a brave
girl of her age was nearly killed by armed the Taliban in 2022. Since then, she got to
touch with her mentors in college and they were given a voice by Zainab Saibi, an
international humanitarian and women’s rights activist. She helped convey their
messages and wishes to media in America, to exercise external pressure on Taliban.
Their efforts shined a lamp of hope, although it was too weak to endure.
On Tuesday, August 15th 2023, on the second anniversary of the Taliban’s return to
power in Afghanistan, celebration was not exclusive to dictatorship and patriarchy.
That bird flying high into the sky gave wings to every woman and girl, to celebrate
their resilience, optimism and strength.

Saeedi still sat at the window, looking up into the sky. She was imagining being
tortured by the Taliban in prison. “What would that be like,” She thought to herself.

A masked gun men walked into the room. “There is nothing left but to stop you,” he
said in a growling voice.

“What are you gonna to do? Lock us all up and kill us? We’re in every home. We’re
half of the human race. You can not stop us all. ”

“You might lose your life before this over.”

“And We Will Win.”