Afghanistan: against burqas, Afghan women photograph themselves in traditional dress

The dresses are colorful featuring gold embroidery and they are all emblematic of Afghan culture. In response to the dress code imposed on them, Afghan women have decided to protest online by posting photos of them in traditional dresses that the Taliban, now in power, no longer want to see. Splashing colors against the dark abayas and burqas that these ultra-rigorous Islamists want to assign to women with the return of Sharia law. The contrast is striking. This resistance campaign is manifested under the hashtag #DoNotTouchMyClothes (ie, "do not touch my clothes), usually accompanied by two others, the first recalling the history of the country and its traditions, the second evoking the condition of women : #AfghanistanCulture and #AfghanWomen.

Afghan Culture: #DoNotTouchMyClothes #AfghanistanCulture #AfghanWomen pic.twitter.com/OqcR8fdv5L

- @_khatira (@KD_khatira) September 13, 2021

The movement was launched on September 12 by Dr Bahar Jalali, historian and university professor, from the United States. That day, she posted a photo of herself on Twitter in traditional attire and urged Afghan women to share theirs to show "the true face of Afghanistan." It is very quickly followed in this initiative. “I wanted to tell the world that the outfits you have seen in the media are not our culture, it is not our identity,” she insists on social networks. The latter refers to a (silent) demonstration of women organized on September 11 by the Taliban. All of them look like faceless black shadows. The rally was taking place at a university in Kabul where they were tasked with showing their support for the conception of religion,and more generally to the whole ideology promoted by the new masters of Afghanistan. The teacher is not fooled ...

This is our Afghan authentic dress.

Afghan women wear such colorful and modest attires.

The black burqa never has been part of the Afghan culture.

# FreeAfghanistan🇦🇫 pic.twitter.com/v9LIbcvklG

- Spozhmay Maseed (@spozhmey) September 12, 2021

Each region of Afghanistan has its own traditional clothing, but despite the diversity, they all share one thing in common: the multitude of colors. "Afghan girls do not wear the Arab veil ... thank you @ RoxanaBahar1 for giving me the courage to stand up and show my culture", testifies one of the participants in this online campaign. “My rich and historic Afghan culture is one of color and beauty. Thank you @ RoxanaBahar1 for encouraging us to remind the world of this, ”enthuses another. However, some wondered before joining the movement. “I wondered if I should join this campaign and share photos of our vibrant traditional clothes when the women back home are no longer free and our people are being slaughtered,but this is how we keep our traditions alive! », Finally decided Elaha, living in the United Kingdom.