Islam is said to claim equality between men and women before God, giving them various rights such the right to inheritance, the right to vote, the right to work, and even choose their own partners in marriage. However, for some time now in Afghanistan, a Muslim country, women have been denied these rights either by official government decree or by their own husbands, fathers, and brothers. Following the Soviet occupation and its withdrawal in 1989, parts of the Mujahideen fell into a civil war and in 1994; the Taliban emerged as a dominant force. During the Taliban rule (1996 – 2001), women were treated worse than in any other time or by any other society. Not only were they forbidden to work or go to school, but they could not leave the house without a male relative, not allowed to seek medical help from a male doctor (and women doctors were not allowed to work, which resulted in no medical help at all), and forced to cover themselves from head to toe, even covering their eyes. Women became simple child bearers, of sons of course, sometimes being sold into marriage even at the age of 13-14. Whoever disobeyed the above rules as well as many others were either hanged, or severely beaten or stoned to death. Although things improved substantially since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, the repression of women remains. For some history, read here.
The book tells the heartrending story of two completely different women, which life brought together due to tragedy, loss and captivity. I cannot even express my opinion, I am speechless; I can urge you to read the book! It is one of the best I have ever read, and Khaled Hosseini truly excels. Although portraying different countries, times and wars, very much similar to this book.
