By Khurasani, Hasht-e Subh
For many Afghans, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, was simply the collapse of a government. For women, it has signified much more. Daily, they grapple with persistent violence and Taliban-imposed restrictions that are eroding their human rights. Adding to their plight is the departure from Afghanistan of many writers who, with a feminine and empathetic approach, once shared women’s stories and advocated for a brighter future for them. Only a handful have persevered in their work while in exile, finding renewed purpose in storytelling.
One of these is Mursal Sayas. Four days after the Taliban takeover, Sayas, then 26, bid farewell to her homeland and sought refuge in France. She had worked for years to secure human rights in Afghanistan, where she had earned a bachelor’s degree in law. Prior to her departure, she was pursuing a master’s in international relations and working on legal cases involving violence against women, documenting these experiences in the hope that one day, she would be able to recount the plight of Afghan women to the world.
Now a freelance journalist, Sayas has continued this work in exile, and in January 2024 published Qui Entendra Nos Cris? (Who Will Hear Our Cries?), written in French with a preface by Ayyam Sureau, an American philosopher residing in France. It relates the wrenching testimonies of 10 women interviewed in hospitals, shelters for battered women or other institutions—a child bride, a women prostituted by her husband, a wife enslaved by her in-laws, victims of rape, incest, violence, betrayal…. Sayas also included her personal experiences of social and familial violence in Afghanistan. She originally wrote the book in Persian then translated it into French; the initial press run was 7,000 copies.
The book draws on Sayas’s years of experience with the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. She began working with the Women’s Rights Section in 2017, focusing on cases of family and gender-based violence, conducting interviews with thousands of women and delving into their cases. After several years, she realized that violence had become institutionalized in society, and that only education could lead to fundamental changes. She then requested a transfer to the education section of the commission, and up until her departure from Afghanistan, she collaborated with media, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, security officials, teachers, students and others.
Her documented narratives highlight the worst forms of violence against women perpetrated by men, sometimes with the complicity of female family members. Sayas believes these stories can serve as a valuable resource for research in the field of human rights, especially given that many women are afraid to speak about this abuse. Some even felt shame when recounting these incidents, convincing Sayas that she wanted to be the voice for women who have been silenced or not heard.
Observing that the situation of Afghanistan was gradually fading from international attention, Sayas chose to publish her book in French, believing that France holds influence in the global political arena. She would also like to see her book published in Persian and Pashto, as long as it would remain uncensored.
Navigating the literary landscape as a young female writer has been “challenging,” but Sayas notes with satisfaction that French readers have appreciated and embraced her work. She believes that the book can be valuable for foreign audiences, as the horrifying and impactful narratives are written in straightforward language, making these women’s stories accessible to all.
Sayas says that society needs these narratives, that they must be told and retold to become part of history. She hopes that when future generations read the book and see their mothers portrayed as victims of violence, they will not themselves fall prey to similar abuse, that the cycle will be broken.
She is currently working on a collection of stories and a novel based on the social realities of women in Afghanistan. For her, storytelling is a form of protest, but it is not enough. In her view, bridging the gap between Afghanistan’s current oppressive system and future equality will be a lengthy process, especially given that conditions for women in Afghanistan worsen with each passing day. She sees her storytelling as a catalyst to opening closed minds and breaking down indifference, evolutions that might one day shock this violent society into change.
Sayas encourages other exiled women to write as well, to document gender-based injustices so the world can bear witness. By incorporating Afghan women’s stories into history, she hopes a brighter future for women’s rights can be envisioned and pursued.
