Taliban forcing divorced Afghan child brides to return to ex-husbands
The Taliban is forcing divorced child brides to return to their adult former husbands, according to a BBC report on Sunday. This directive comes despite these girls having been legally divorced by the Afghan government. The case of Bibi Nazdana, who was granted divorce, is just one among the tens of thousands of similar cases across Afghanistan. The Taliban has deemed her divorce invalid based on their interpretation of Sharia law.
Nazdana's struggle for freedom under Taliban rule
Nazdana was promised in marriage to a farmer at the tender age of seven, as part of an effort to reconcile feuding families. After years of struggle, she successfully petitioned the Afghan courts for divorce. "The court congratulated me and said, 'You are now separated and free to marry whomever you want,'" Nazdana told the BBC. However, her freedom was short-lived as her former husband appealed against the divorce in 2021 under Taliban rule.
Taliban court overrules Afghan government's divorce ruling
Following the appeal by Nazdana's former husband, the Taliban court prohibited her from representing herself, claiming it violated Sharia law. Instead, Nazdana's brother Shams was forced to represent her. "They told us if we didn't comply they would hand my sister over to him (Hekmatullah) by force," Shams said. The terror group largely relies on Hanafi Fiqh (jurisprudence), religious law that dates back to the 8th century but has been revised to "meet the current needs."
Nazdana and Shams flee Afghanistan post Taliban ruling
Evidently, the Taliban-led court ruled in favor of Nazdana's former husband, a registered member of the group. After the Taliban court's ruling, Nazdana and her brother Shams fled Afghanistan. Now 20 years old, Nazdana has sought help from various parties including the United Nations. "I have knocked on many doors asking for help...but no one has heard my voice," she told the BBC. "Where is the support? Don't I deserve freedom as a woman?" she asked.
