Divorce, Smartphones, and Control: The BBC's Insight into Taliban-Run Afghanistan
The governor of Jawzjan province, Abdullah Sarhadi, a former Taliban commander who spent time in US detention in Guantanamo Bay, illustrates the complex reality of daily life under the Taliban regime.
In a revealing exchange, a 18-year-old woman approaches Sarhadi to request a divorce from her abusive husband. She argues her case confidently, despite being banned from secondary education and wearing a full-face veil. Sarhadi, however, dismisses her concerns, labeling women as "mindless" and "deficient in intellect."
This incident offers a rare window into the Taliban's rule, five years after their takeover in 2021. During this period, Afghan women have faced severe restrictions, including being excluded from most workplaces, banned from universities, and prohibited from traveling alone or accessing parks and leisure centers.
Through unprecedented access to influential Taliban figures over two years, the BBC reveals the movement's inner workings. While claiming to have changed, many of their policies align with a strict interpretation of Sharia law, much like their previous rule in the 1990s. The men interviewed presented themselves as reasonable but were hesitant to discuss their violent pasts, highlighting moments of tension between rulers and ruled.
Afghan women share their stories of life under the Taliban, describing changes that have left them unrecognizable. The BBC's questioning of the Taliban on women's education has yielded five years of compelling insights into this evolving narrative.