Mahnaz was born in western Afghanistan to a Shia family that placed high value on education. When she was eight years old, the Taliban came to power; Shias were particularly vulnerable to the Sunni Taliban threat. Fear and poverty forced the family to flee to Iran, where they faced economic and educational discrimination. After the fall of the Taliban, the family returned to Afghanistan, where Mahnaz studied hard and won a scholarship to continue her education abroad.
My Wild Imagination
October 10, 2013 16 Comments
I am one of those women with a wild imagination.
I want to see women running in the park,
unburdened by worries that someone may judge them.
“Voice of Afghanistan” Singer Provokes Rude Commentary
July 25, 2013 15 Comments
Some comments praised the singer for her beauty or expressed their love for her, but many expressed hatred.
Missing You
May 16, 2013 5 Comments
You are not here to drink tea with me and laugh at our favorite show
Living with the Taliban
February 28, 2013 6 Comments
We had been living outside of Herat in the house my father built for only a few months when the Taliban took control.
My Early Life
February 21, 2013 5 Comments
A few months after we arrived, on a night filled with fear and gunfire, the Taliban reached Herat. From our house, we could see the hills where Ismail Khan’s forces were fighting the Taliban.
In My Room
February 7, 2013 4 Comments
I sit at the corner of my room
Staring at my pale chicken soup
My books scattered around me
Women Are Not Like Honey
December 17, 2012 8 Comments
“Women are like a jar of honey, the jar should be always closed; otherwise men, who are like flies, will gather around the honey,” the man tells me.
The Horse-Cart Driver, part two
December 5, 2012 5 Comments
I felt a rebellious energy inside me. I pulled back my hand with strength. I stood, without any thought and fear, and I cried, “I want to get off.”
The Horse-Cart Driver
December 3, 2012 3 Comments
In one corner of the street there was a row of horse-carts, all lined up, ready to load the passengers. The carts were colorful and decorated with flowers.
Recent comments