Afghanistan: Two Steps Back?

I was sent an email stating that Barbara Walters visited Afghanistan pre-2001 and post 2001 (after the Taliban were ousted). She noticed that women continued to walk behind the men, but at a greater distance than pre-2001. She asked a woman why and the dead-pan response was, "land mines." I haven't researched to see if this actually happened, but I thought about it when I read today that the Afghanistan government is considering bringing back the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Under the Taliban regime, this body was responsible for brutal attacks, torture and killing of women who appeared "unvirtuous" by Islamic law. This included the public killings in the Olympic stadium. Karzai's cabinet has passed the motion and it's on its way to Parliament. Apparently, the Department is to educate people as to what is "allowable and forbidden by Islamic law." I saw the good that our military and government have done over there, but don't think it's enough. Reading this reminds me of the ghosts I hear each day from the people I met with, "we don't want to be forgotten." Will the Afghan people be forgotten? Have they taken a step backwards? Lightheartedly, I'm reminded how we women felt our guest house friends and guides worked at "protecting our virtue." No T&A! (toes and ankles). I imagine they took a big risk: men taking care of a house full of women. I wonder if they suffered any repercussion?

First Published Story About My Afghanistan Trip

Well, it's taken me about four months to actually write something cohesive about my March trip to Kabul. I'm working on other stories for other publications. This story gives a very brief story focuses primarily on two people I met. Enjoy the story here.

Updated Aug. 16, 2021: Since Yahoo no longer has the story live, it will be uploaded to my blog soon.