NEW DELHI: Two sisters in
Kabul
found themselves at the forefront of the
Taliban
's tightening grip on women's freedoms in
Afghanistan
through music, reported
BBC
.
Despite the risks involved in a country where musicians can be arrested, the sisters initiated a
singing movement
on
social media
called the
Last Torch
.
In a recorded video, one of the sisters said, "We're going to sing this but it could cost us our lives," before they commenced their melody.
Released in August 2021, just days after the Taliban takeover, their song quickly went viral on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.
Despite lacking any background in music, the sisters, who concealed their identities by wearing burkas, became a musical phenomenon. Shaqayeq (name changed for safety), the younger sister, explained, "Our fight started from right under the flag of the Taliban and against the Taliban," says Shaqayeq (not her real name), the younger member of the duo. Before the Taliban came to power, we had never written a single poem. This is what the Taliban did to us."
The Taliban imposed Sharia, Islamic religious law, on everyday life and severely restricting women's access to education soon after they came to power in August 2021. Women in Kabul and other major cities took to the streets in resistance, only to face a brutal crackdown. "Women were the last light of hope we could see. "That's why we decided to call ourselves the Last Torch. Thinking that we wouldn't be able to go anywhere, we decided to start a secret protest from home," said Shaqayeq.
The sisters continued to release songs, all sung from beneath their blue burkas, just like the first one. One of these songs was a famous poem by the late Nadia Anjuman, written in protest against the Taliban's initial takeover in 1996. It expressed the frustration of being silenced and yearning for freedom.
Describing the burka, the older sister, Mashal (name changed for safety), compared it to a "mobile cage" and lamented, "It's like a graveyard where the dreams of thousands of women and girls are buried." Shaqayeq added, "This burka is like a stone that the Taliban threw on women 25 years ago, and they did it again when they returned to power. We wanted to use the weapon they used against us to fight back against their restrictions."
Although the sisters have only released seven songs to date, each one has resonated strongly with women across Afghanistan. Initially, they used lyrics written by others, but eventually felt that no poem could adequately express their emotions, prompting them to start writing their own. Their songs address the limitations imposed on women's lives, the imprisonment of activists, and the violations of human rights. Fans have responded by posting their own performances of the songs on social media, sometimes even donning burkas as a disguise. A group of Afghan school students living abroad recorded a version on stage in their school auditorium.
This defiance by women goes against the Taliban's intentions. One of the first measures taken by the Taliban after seizing power was to replace the Ministry of Women's Affairs with the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. The new ministry not only enforced the wearing of burkas but also condemned music, claiming it destroys the roots of Islam. Sawabgul, an official featured in one of the ministry's propaganda videos, asserted, "Singing and listening to music is very harmful. It distracts people from God's prayers... Everyone should stay away from it." Videos soon emerged on social media showing Taliban foot soldiers burning musical instruments and parading arrested musicians.
The sisters, aware of the potential danger, have experienced many sleepless nights fearing that the Taliban might identify them. "We have seen their threats on social media: 'Once we find you, we know how to remove your tongue from your throat,'" said Mashal. "Our parents get scared whenever they read these comments. They say maybe it's enough and we should stop... But we tell them we can't, we cannot just continue with our normal lives." For their safety, the sisters left Afghanistan last year, but they hope to return soon.
Sonita Alizada, a professional rapper from Afghanistan now residing in Canada, has been inspired by the Last Torch's videos. "When I saw two women under a burka singing, honestly, I was crying," she expressed. Born in 1996, the year the Taliban first took power, Sonita's family fled to Iran when she was a child. There, her mother attempted to arrange a forced marriage for her, but Sonita found solace in music and escaped her fate. Like the sisters, she sees the women who have protested against the Taliban as symbols of hope.
Sonita said "We see individuals fighting with their own talent." Farida Mahwash, one of Afghanistan's most celebrated female singers, who recently retired after a career spanning over half a century, watched one of the sisters' latest songs on the BBC. She remarked, "these two singers will turn four and then become 10, and then 1,000. If one day they go on stage, I'll walk with them, even if I have to use a walking stick."
In Kabul, the crackdown on activism has intensified over the past year, with authorities banning women from holding rallies and arresting those who defy the ban. One of the sisters' recent songs focuses on female activists who were imprisoned by the Taliban, enduring what Human Rights Watch described as "abusive conditions."
"These poems are just a small part of the grief and pain we have in our hearts," Shaqayeq acknowledges. "The pain and struggle of the people of Afghanistan, and the grief they have endured under the Taliban in the last years, can't fit in any poem." The UN has warned that the Taliban's current policies could lead to gender apartheid. In response, the Taliban asserts that they are simply implementing Sharia and will not tolerate outside interference.
Shaqayeq and Mashal are currently working on their next songs, aiming to amplify the voices of women in Afghanistan who are fighting for freedom. "Our voice won't be silenced. We are not tired. It's just the beginning of our fight."
(Note: Sisters' names have been changed for safety)
English (US) ·