By: Rukhshana Media
The Taliban briefly detained and questioned two female protesters who, along with over a dozen others, disrupted an event held in support of the Taliban’s government last Friday in Bamyan, a local source said.
Both were released.
The first source, a female protester, said she was summoned by the Taliban intelligence for questioning two days ago. She was freed after answering the questions.
A second source, a Taliban official in Bamyan province, confirmed the questioning of two female protesters. Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity for safety reasons.
Women were invited to attend an event and announce their support for the Taliban’s in Bamyan last Friday, April 1.
But instead, these women disrupted the gathering, tore the Taliban’s banner and flag, amid cheers from the audience. The videos of the protest went viral on social media with hundreds of thousands of people viewing it around the world.
Hundreds of women attended the gathering after they were told that it was about the reopening of girl’s schools.
A 20-year-old participant, who spoke on the condition of anynomity, said she was told that the gathering was a protest for the reopening of girl’s school and that she would receive 1500 AFN (USD 17) in the end. She said she had no idea the rally was organized to support the Taliban.
“The majority decided to leave the meeting,” after they knew it wasn’t about girls’ education, said another participant. “But Taliban forces prevented them” from leaving.
The gathering was held in a sports gym, and most participants were female university students and schoolgirls. The Taliban officials including their provincial governor, Abdullah Sarhadi, also took part in the event.
Most Taliban officials left, when a woman went behind the mic, and told the audience that Bamyan women will not support the Taliban unless they allow girls to return to school, and lift other restrictions on women.
By that time, most women in the hall had begun disrupting the event. In the end, a group of women stormed the stage, and tore the Taliban banners.
