Why Afghan Women Risk Death to Write Poetry

[kangofu]

Why Afghan Women Risk Death to Write Poetry
Source - NYTimes
By ELIZA GRISWOLD
Published: April 27, 2012

Comments

[per_simmon]

Is there a way of supporting these incredibly brave women? Sending them donations, letters of support, something? This is heartbreaking, and the snippets of poetry are beautiful.

[kyra_neko_rei]

I don't know about the how part, but they did say they're struggling to afford a tape recorder.

[koken23]

This doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

Afghanistan has a long and proud literary tradition, especially in the south and west. The history of all the peoples is transmitted orally...being skilled with words, being a poet or a storyteller with a true gift is valued extraordinarily highly by pretty much all of the different ethnic groups, but especially by Pashtun; in all seriousness, banning songs and poetry might have been the cruelest thing the Taliban did whilst they were in power, because it was done to silence women (many of the best Afghan poets from before the Taliban rose were women, poetry and song were one thing where men and women were equal) like these.

[yamamanama]

I only recognize the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.

[kyra_neko_rei]

Why Afghan Women Risk Death to Write Poetry

Because, to paraphrase, oh, hell, who was it? Fritz Leiber, in "Space-Time For Springers": there is a difference between spirit and consciousness, and between life and existence, and in this case it is the poetry that keeps them from 'losing the former and still being burdened with the latter.'

Kudos, brave ladies;
May all your words find ears.

[chaya]

(The group still can’t afford a tape recorder.)

Tell me where to send the money. No, seriously.

Lima stood to recite her latest poem: a rubaiyat, the Arabic name for a quatrain, addressed to the Taliban.

You won’t allow me to go to school.
I won’t become a doctor.
Remember this:
One day you will be sick.

ALL THE AWARDS. ALL OF THEM.