Who Would Have Thought A Movie Theatre Will Kick The Storm Around Afghan Women’s Claim To #PublicSpace?

You know what’s more sad than death. Living a life of oppression. Killing each and every moment of freedom and happiness with your own bare hands. Women in Afghanistan don’t exactly enjoy freedom. The truth is Taliban had taken over Afghan lives and destroyed them for its set of “rules.”

Post the Afghan Civil war, from 1996 Taliban came into being and imposed Sharia, or Islamic law, which was tweaked to suit their version of good and bad. The international community and leading Muslims have been highly critical of their ways. In 2001, Taliban was ousted and defeated in an American-led invasion in rebuttal to the 9/11 attacks.

Taiban was notorious for various human rights violations, and naturally women were at the receiving end again in this part of the world. Taliban went berserk when at the peak of their power. They were particularly sexist and misogynistic.

Systematic segregations were in place, women were not allowed to leave their houses,not allowed to work, and also not allowed to study after the age of eight. They were forced to wear a burqa all the times in public. There were some pretty ridiculous gender policies in place. The punishments for violating these decrees were equally atrocious.

The situation was grim to say the least, Amnesty report on Taliban's terrible display of power will most likely send chills down your spine.  Even after Taliban’s ouster, the local population could not come to let go of the oppressive lifestyle hammered down by them, over the decades.

Although, a simple act of watching movies was still considered haraam, the cinema halls were dominated by male faces.  Women seldom found themselves opening up and enjoying themselves in public amidst unknown men and women.

Galaxy Family Cinema is slowly changing things for Afghan women in this area. This is a sort of revolution going inside the movie theater in Kabul.  Abu Bakar Gharzai, the owner of the cinema hall, had completed his studies in India. Since nobody can stay away from the charm of Indian cinema’s naach-gaana, Abu also became a movie buff.  When he moved to Afghanistan, Abu noticed that there weren’t many places in public and especially movie halls where he could enjoy a film with his wife. And that is how he was prompted to open a cinema theater for women.
 

Afghan women have been given opportunity to relax and think of this place as their own little space. A space to themselves, where they can sit back, relax and enjoy the on-screen drama. They are not scared of vile and vicious looks by men or neither are they scared of harassment by the hawk-eyed men.  

Kabul's first cinema hall for women is revolutionary in many ways. This secret rebellion hopefully kicks up a storm for Afghan women to fight for their claim at public spaces. Afghanistan is not anymore under the vicious stranglehold of Taliban. May be, it’s time for Afghan women to come out and claim what is rightfully theirs.