Wed Oct 02 17:01:41 UTC 2024: ## Taliban Forces Divorced Child Brides Back to Husbands, Sparking Outrage and Flight
**Kabul, Afghanistan** – The Taliban regime is facing international condemnation for forcing divorced child brides back to their former husbands, despite the girls being granted divorce by the previous Afghan government. This practice has sparked widespread outrage and prompted many, like Bibi Nazdana, to flee the country.
Nazdana, now 20, was married off at the tender age of seven to a farmer in an attempt to reconcile feuding families. After years of pursuing a divorce, she finally secured one through the Afghan courts in 2021. However, her victory was short-lived. The Taliban, citing their interpretation of Sharia law, deemed the divorce invalid and ordered her to return to her former husband.
The Taliban’s Supreme Court, citing Sharia law, declared Nazdana’s divorce invalid and ruled in favor of her former husband, a registered member of the Taliban. This decision prompted Nazdana and her brother Shams, who represented her in the court proceedings, to flee Afghanistan for their safety.
Nazdana’s case is reportedly one of tens of thousands where the Taliban has overturned previous divorce rulings, effectively re-enslaving child brides. The Taliban claims to have reviewed 355,000 cases since taking power, with 30% involving family issues.
This latest act of oppression by the Taliban has drawn international criticism. Many are questioning why the international community has not done more to help women like Nazdana.
The situation has highlighted the plight of Afghan women under Taliban rule, where their basic human rights and freedom are being systematically eroded. The future for these women remains bleak as they face a system that perpetuates forced marriage and denies them any semblance of agency.
First Piper 