On August 15, 2021, the Islamic State (IS) seized power once again in Afghanistan. Being a woman then became a constant danger.
Ms. Parwana Paikan, Minister-Counselor at the dissident Afghan Embassy in Paris, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, Director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), and the Ambassador of the Republic of Portugal to France, Mr. José Augusto Duarte, highlighted the critical situation facing women and girls in Afghanistan, as well as those in exile, during the conference organized as part of the Haizebegi Festival.
Being an Afghan Woman Under the Taliban Regime
“Afghan women are a real threat to the Taliban. When the Taliban arrived, Afghan women were the only ones who stood up to them, who looked them in the eye,” laments Parwana Paikan, former Minister of Women’s Affairs in Afghanistan. Being a woman in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime is a constant struggle. Upon seizing power, the Taliban abolished the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and established the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
The courage of Afghan women knows no bounds: even though the Taliban do not recognize their existence “as women,” some of them rose up, gathering in front of the ministry when the Taliban seized power and chanting that they would not let this happen. The new ministry continues to crack down violently, putting every woman and every girl in danger.
Minister in exile, Ms. Parwana Paikan.
As a diplomat, Ms. Parwana Paikan saw the position of Minister for Women’s Affairs disappear with the rise of ISIS to power. “We never would have imagined that one day we’d be inside the Ministry building but that there would be no state,” she said (remarks translated by Parand Danesh). Returning the very next day to the Afghan Embassy in Paris—which had become a dissident outpost despite ISIS’s announcement—Parwana Paikan declared to her colleagues: “Now that Afghanistan has slipped from our grasp, we still have Afghan territory here at the Embassy in France.” She currently holds the position of Minister-Counselor there. During the conference, she spoke about the insecurity inherent in her position. In addition to representing an unrecognized state, she has been living off her savings for more than nine months. As an Afghan female diplomat, her situation depends entirely on the political decisions of the French government. She admits: “If France were to recognize the Islamic State of Afghanistan, I would no longer be a diplomat.”
August 15, 2021: The Urgency of Exile at ANIM.
The return of the Islamic State to power also symbolizes the suppression of Afghan musical culture. With terrorist attacks and the burning of musical instruments, the female musicians of the Zohra Orchestra and all the musicians of ANIM were in danger. The director, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, decided to seek asylum in various countries to bring the Institute’s students and staff to safety. Shortly thereafter, Portugal granted political asylum to every musician in the Institute’s orchestra, as well as to the staff and their families. A total of 284 people went into exile in Portugal via Qatar.
Unfortunately, at this time, the musicians’ families are still back home. Although the musicians have been constantly asking Dr. Sarmast about the repatriation of their families, we received some excellent news yesterday. He confirmed that it would be possible to give them a positive answer. 280 people will soon be reunited with their loved ones in Portugal.
Yona Bernadas
