My Forbidden Face

My Forbidden Face by Latifa relates to this course in a number of ways. First, the fact that the author cannot divulge her real name for fear of being beaten, raped, and/or killed is one way that the book correlates with the class. Other examples are subordination of women, veiling, and keeping women out of the public eye. The Taliban are very extreme in their treatment of women; in fact, it is almost as if they are living in the very distant past.

Lerner talked about how slavery came about because of the subordination of women. The Taliban have achieved the subordination stage, but have not yet gotten to the point where there is slavery. "We are impure-but that doesn't stop them from slapping a woman with their bare hands and shoving her into barbed wire!" (pg 58-59) Talibans think of women as evil and worthless. "'You're nothing but a woman! You have no right to speak, no right to raise your voice.'" (pg 60) In this society men have absolute rule, but it is not even all men; it is only Taliban men. If anybody speaks out against the Taliban they are punished or beaten to death in the public square to show the consequences of such actions (pg 38).

The Taliban also require all women to wear a chadri (a veil that covers the woman's head, face, shoulders, and arms). In addition to veiling, which Lerner's book talks about, it is mandatory that women are accompanied by a man at all times when they are out in public. Also, women cannot wear brightly colored clothing or make-up under their chadri. In further attempt to keep women out of the public eye it is forbidden that women work. This is almost like what Mintz talks about in her book where in the 1950's women are not supposed to hold jobs or get a college education. In the 1950's it is for more of a social reason rather than law, but the same idea applies. Men frown upon the thought that their wives are more educated than them or that their wives have a job. Women are supposed to stay home and keep house.

"This time, they're really killing us, killing all girls and women. Killing us stealthily, in silence. The worst prohibitions, which have already been established throughout the great majority of the country, annihilate us by locking us outside of society." (pg 38)

Not only can women not be heard, but they can't be seen either.

Rape is used as a way to gain control over people. It has been used for centuries and is still being used today; even in the United States. The Taliban raped girls, regardless of their age and for no apparent reason at all.

"'They're about your age, Latifa, fifteen or sixteen...Some talibs captured them during their offensive on the Shamali Plain, a band of about fifteen men. They raped them. All fifteen men. It's revolting, but...that's