I like seeing the joy on people's faces reading books." I purchased Elif Shafak's Architect' s Apprentice, and today I realised how much I love books and libraries. On August 23, she described her first experience of the city under Taliban rule: "Stepped out for the first time since the arrival of the Taliban. Before going to bed that night, Marzia wrote in her diary, "An entire day wasted."
MARZIA 14YO AND ENZA 9YO MOVIE
We are in shock and disbelief over the situation, especially for girls like me," referring to the Taliban's restrictions on women's freedoms and rights.Īs the American troops tried to secure Kabul that night, Marzia and Hajar distracted themselves from the chaos around them by watching the American movie I Still Believe. In an entry on Augthe day the Taliban seized Afghanistan's capital city - Marzia writes, "People are scared. Her notes provide a window into the lives and struggles of young Afghan girls, particularly Hazaras, living under the Taliban. Modaqeq shared with NPR some of the pages of Marzia's diary, where she meticulously details her aspirations, sets goals for herself, discusses the struggles she endures, and every once in a while, takes a moment to congratulate her achievements. "She was average student in high school, but following the Taliban takeover she was determined more than ever to complete her education and achieve goals," he said. However, the adversity of the situation only served to fuel Marzia and Hajar's motivation, Modaqeq said. Millions of young Afghan girls, including Marzia's siblings, have been out of school for over a year. Predictably, since the Taliban has taken over, it has imposed many restrictions on women's freedoms, including the closure of girls' high schools. Hazara women are not only discriminated against and often killed because of their gender identity, but also because of their Hazara identity," she said. "An important aspect of the ongoing targeted attacks against the Hazaras that is consistently overlooked is the disproportionate impact on women," said Anis Rezaei, a Hazara academic who is currently pursuing a master's degree at Oxford University. A report published last month by the advocacy group Human Rights Watch documented 16 attacks against Hazaras that killed or injured at least 700 people. They have been systematically discriminated against and denied their most basic human rights," she said.Īttacks against Hazaras - largely Shia Muslims who have been historically persecuted by Sunni militant groups - have increased significantly in the past year since the Taliban takeover. "These girls were targeted and attacked both because they were female and because they were from a persecuted minority.
The tragic death of Marzia and Hajar alongside dozens of other Hazara Afghan girls in a horrific suicide bombing at a learning centre in Kabul is utterly heart-wrenching," Shafak told NPR in an email. "It broke my heart to learn how they loved reading literature and how they loved reading my novels. The murders have evoked widespread condemnations and calls for justice globally, including from Marzia and Hajar's idol, Shafak. Some of her thoughts were so profound that I couldn't believe were expressed by such a young child," he said, the grief evident in his voice. "She was creative and had such clarity of thought. Marzia's list included everyday things like wanting to ride a bike, learn the guitar, or walk in the park late at night - simple tasks women and girls could not aspire to while living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.īut Marzia was different, said her uncle, Zaher Modaqeq, who found her diaries with her belongings after her death. Her cousin and best friend, Hajar Mohammadi, 16, was also among the 53 deaths, the majority of whom were girls, according to a U.N. Like Shafak, Marzia wanted to write a novel someday.īut Marzia's dreams came to crashing end on Friday, after she was killed in a suicide bombing attack on the Kaaj learning center in Kabul's predominantly Hazara ethnic neighborhood. At the very top was her wish to meet the best-selling Turkish-British novelist Elif Shafak, followed by a visit to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and having pizza at an Italian restaurant. In an undated entry in her diary, 16-year-old Marzia Mohammadi drew up a list of all the things she wanted to do in her life.
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