Warda and Tahir made it to the official’s residence at about sunset. While the men prayed at a mosque, the women were shown to the home’s living room, which, surprisingly for a high-ranking government member, was modest and plain. It made Warda think of the extravagant lives of Kabul’s elite from a decade ago. A few women and the hostess received Warda in the room, where Warda removed her burqa.
Tahir was regarded as an esteemed guest and given most of the talking time as the men gathered in a separate chamber following prayers. The minister kept a level head, but the atmosphere was warm and friendly as everyone sat on a clean carpet, with most people sitting cross-legged. He discussed various government development plans sponsored by the Gulf countries and sought Tahir’s views.
Then, a traditional Afghan mat was spread out with dishes of rice and mutton gravy on it, and green tea was served after dinner.
The rest of the guests left after the final prayers of the day. Still, Warda asked the official’s wife if discussing some issues with the minister before she left for Pakistan was possible. The lady called her seven-year-old son to convey the message, and soon, the four of them went to a room with a curtain drawn across its middle and chairs on both sides. Tahir and the minister sat on one side of the curtain, and Warda and the official’s wife settled on the other.
“Yes, my sister? You have some questions on your mind, and I invited you precisely to answer them and then offer a proposition.”
“Respected, sir, I will come straight to the point. Shireen and her team of teenage girls did not endanger their lives, their honour, and the lives and honour of their loved ones for this Afghanistan, where women are not allowed to get an education, where they cannot move around freely, and where they are in effect imprisoned in their homes.” Warda looked at the minister’s wife to see if she showed any disapproval. She was surprised to see her calm and smiling.
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On the other side of the curtain, Tahir had his head down, hoping that Warda’s wish list would stop there. He glanced at the minister, who was caressing his beard and appeared rather amused.
“My sister! I am an engineer, and my wife practiced law before the sky fell on our nation. All the superpowers that came here to enforce their ideologies on us—to make us cultured and civilised—have their hands soaked in the blood of millions. They perpetrated genocides against nations that failed to meet their governance standards, and to make matters worse, they harbour no remorse for their actions. In fact, they have glorified these acts since they are the ones who wrote the fancy history books that are lying in the greatest universities of the world.”
“The Taliban brought peace and justice to the land, only because the people united with them against the atrocities of the warlords. The Islamic law and code of conduct have ended the chaos that persisted even after the Soviets withdrew. The honour of the Afghan woman is now more secure than it has been in the past decade and a half.”
“Education and welfare of women is the responsibility of the state,” he continued, “but the blood of the Taliban, the vast majority being youth, is still warm with the severest of fighting one can imagine. We do not have food, jobs or shelter for our citizens. It is a matter of priority now, but I give you my word that we will start primary education for girls under twelve this year. We already have a memorandum of understanding with a powerful central European nation, which, through its NGOs, will provide teaching facilities for boys and girls. The teachers will respect our religious and cultural norms, and only lady teachers will teach the girls. The curriculum will encompass Islamic and contemporary education. As these primary school girls progress to higher classes, the NGOs collaborating with our government will have a higher program.”
“We request you to restart Miss Shireen’s institution. You can leave in five to six months once the European and our local education teams gain confidence in this environment.”
“I have a project for Mr Tahir as well. Given your sacrifice, we will ensure that his salary is more than what he is getting in Pakistan.”
Smiling, the minister continued, “I acknowledge that we are asking too much of you. You can go to Pakistan, consider our proposal, and, if you are willing to proceed, come back.”