By: Zabi Balkhi
In the northern province of Balkh, 23-year-old Maryam* works tirelessly to preserve the joyful memories of others, capturing wedding celebrations through her lens. Yet her own life has been marred by struggle and bitterness. Under the Taliban’s rule, her work is deemed a sin in Islam, her camera is confiscated, and she faces constant harassment. “The Taliban create a lot of problems for us. They don’t leave us alone. At the checkpoints, we are interrogated more often, my camera was taken from me several times, and they told me that ‘you are an infidel. Your work is a sin in Islam’,” she says.
Maryam has been a photographer for four years, but since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, her life has become increasingly challenging. Her father is unable to work, leaving Maryam as the sole breadwinner for her family of seven. Poverty prevented her from attending university, leading her to seek a job that could support her family and her ailing father.
Four years ago, with the help of a friend, she began learning the trade at a photography studio. “Economic problems made it impossible for me to take the university entrance examination process and I started looking for a source of income,” she says. “Looking for a job where I can help my family’s economy and help my father who is old and sick and unable to work.” Maryam quickly established her own studio, employing at least ten other young women who were also their families’ sole breadwinners. “Most of the girls who worked in the sector were not out of interest. It was out of necessity that they were facing severe economic problems,” she explains.
However, the political upheaval in Afghanistan upended the lives of Maryam and her colleagues just as business was booming. Their studio was shuttered, and all the women found themselves unemployed. “It was very hard to see all my achievements and all my hard work destroyed overnight,” Maryam says. “Our studio was closed and all the girls were unemployed.”
Since regaining power, the Taliban has imposed numerous restrictions on women’s lives, from work and education to free travel and political activity. The United Nations Secretary-General has stated that women in Afghanistan have been effectively excluded from public life. As a result, women and girls are grappling with unemployment, a lack of education, domestic violence, and myriad other misfortunes.
After the closure of her studio, Maryam attempted to leave Afghanistan but was unsuccessful. Resolute, she decided to persevere and find a new way to continue her work. Forty days after the Taliban assumed control, she resumed her photography business from home, taking orders through Facebook. Gradually, she rebuilt her enterprise.
Nevertheless, Maryam still faces frequent harassment from the Taliban at checkpoints, where she is often insulted and humiliated. The Taliban’s morality police have also been known to target women for their clothing, music choices, and other issues, leading to numerous reports of mistreatment. One woman of many who have spoken to Rukhshana Media described the city as “horrible” and likened the morality police to “agents of death.”
In the eyes of the Taliban, Maryam’s work is considered illegal and sinful. “In the Taliban government, our work is considered illegal. They always say that photography is blasphemy. That’s it is not allowed in Islam,” she says.
Her friends have been detained by the Taliban for their involvement in photography, only to be released after their families pleaded with the intelligence department. Now, Maryam must accept work orders during the day and navigate the intrusive presence of Taliban officials at wedding events. She has been forced to hide among the guests and carry her equipment in their bags to avoid detection. Last week, Maryam hid herself and her equipment in this way when the Taliban morality police stormed a hotel for playing music at a wedding party.
Despite the challenges she faces, Maryam remains dedicated to her craft and the satisfaction it brings to her clients. “People are very satisfied with our work that we film their gatherings,” she says. “Because I am a girl, women can easily enjoy their party.”
Maryam longs for the day she can work freely once again. For now, she endures the daily humiliations at checkpoints, the threats to her camera, and the restrictions imposed by the Taliban. The Taliban’s constraints have seeped into all aspects of women’s lives, narrowing the space for them to thrive. Yet Maryam remains steadfast, determined to support her family and continue her work in the face of adversity. “I was threatened many times that they would break my camera, but I have to endure so much humiliation because I need to work and earn money to run my life,” she says.
In capturing the joy of others, Maryam defies the oppression she faces, hopeful that one day she, too, can experience the freedom she once knew.
*Names have been changed for security reasons
