They gave me to someone who could not read or write … it would be better if you buried me alive - [article in Guardian, TW abuse]

I certainly never said it did, but even military force has tried to change this and has failed. It's the stuff of nightmares, but we can't change peoples minds as barbaric as it is.

Very wise.

Another board I’m on gets derailed regularly by tedious PR units.

This stuff here really matters though.

Like putting a woman in prison because she got into a taxi without a male relative? So shouldn't we criticise that culture then?
Culture just means that some people do it and have done for a while. Not that it merits any kind of respect.

I suspect (or atleast read that post as) that poster was talking about @BornToBeWithThisUsername not you

I think we can. The ' culture's in Afghanistan is medieval. We should not be just saying all cultures are equal when some are depraived like this. The problem is that we cannot do anything about it. We should not be allowing male sports teams from Afghanistan to compete in sporting competitions and we should not be granting asylum to any Afghan male, because they are not the most abused people in their country. They have left the most abused behind.

Oh I know I've been told all of that many times but I just don't care anymore.
Colonialism was neither all good or all bad, it had both positives and negatives for the colonised countries and their population.
But nobody wants to hear the truth or see facts anymore its all about the narrative and the fact that of all the countries and empires in history the British empire was the 1st to outlaw slavery and then use its might to impose that on the rest of the world is remarkable and should be celebrated not tarred with false claims of us having started the transatlantic slave trade (that was Portugal and Spain expanded it for those who are unaware).

There’s a difference between forced marriage and arranged marriage, in that arranged marriage involves consent of both parties to the marriage. A child cannot give informed consent and so child marriage is forced by definition. A marriage that someone cannot refuse is forced marriage. Very different to someone agreeing to a marriage arranged between two willing, informed parties.

Oh this is horrific for you and all girls, to be forced to live like this. I detest the Taliban and all excessive regimes and fanatics like then.

The author isn't happy with this culture by her own standards, FFS.

Look at me judging. Turns out you can!

I think in this case we can.

Immediately you suggest this you will run into accusations of colonialism, white saviourism and imposing Western ideas on cultures that do not agree with them. The British tried to eradicate some of these practices and look where it got them: apparently they invented slavery (they stopped it), trashed other people's countries and cultures and stole their stuff, interfered with other people's way of life etc.
A country must save itself - if it won't then if there is an option to leave then take it and go somewhere more civilized.
Cultural relativism does not allow us to judge other cultures by our standards (because our standards are not theirs and our standards are bad) and if you dare say that not all cultures are equal you are branded a racist bigot.

I think the taliban chose the husband not the dad. The fact that her illiterate husband tried to get her out of Afghanistan and her father enabled to her educated when that was legal shows that not all men benefit and uphold from taliban rule but all are fearful for their lives. That she needs £20 to get a loan to start a sweets business is heartbreaking - can we help the women of Afghanistan directly?

There are plenty of men that would love to see Western European women back as chattel so I wouldn’t be resting on my laurels tbh, cultural differences my arse.

Child marriage isn't an ingrained part of Afghan culture, pre Taliban it was mainly done due to extreme poverty and debt.

Pre Taliban there were sadly a long list of countries (at least 20) with worse rates of child marriage than Afghanistan across Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South and Central America.

It's all so sad OP. We can't even begin to imagine what life is like there.

Some women went to university. In rural areas there is more interest in having health care than in education. That the Taliban have ended this - and prevented women from entering health care roles whilst saying women cannot be treated by men - is causing more anger, but it is directed at the US, which has cut aid. The problem with the US occupation was that it promoted an urban elite without a hearts and minds operation directed towards the rural poor and those of middling incomes. To the extent that the US had not managed to put across more liberal values is one reason the Taliban took over so easily. The other was that the US (as in their attack on Cuba) seemed to be promoting those who were gangsters from the point of view of a lot of the population and the Taliban were seen as more trustworthy. Turns out they were not and that they are as likely to demand bribes as their predecessors.
The woman writing the letter appears to have a peculiar father. He was proud of her educational success but chose an illiterate husband? That's very odd - unless the Taliban chose the husband, which may be the case: 'they gave me to'... somewhat suggests this.

Arranged marriages are what happens in most places apart from what we call 'the West' and the idea of the companionate marriage is not widely accepted either. The difference with what is happening in Afghanistan - and many other countries under Islamic rule such as the Taliban's - is that 'arranged marriage' as it has evolved over the last couple of centuries (mainly because of contact with societies which have ceased to arrange marriages - all cultures originally arranged marriage btw) takes into consideration the compatibility of the couple and allows them to know each other, but this is not happening in Afghanistan. Hindus mostly arrange their marriages, but do it within a system of social contact where young people meet and a 'suitable boy' or girl is suggested. Education is a plus in the 'marriage market' as well, unlike Afghanistan.

This is not just about child marriage though is it. Pre Taliban women were going to uni alongside men, held jobs etc.

@Sunnytraces "If it was cultural it would stick same way even under different leaderships. They didn't have it before taliban, nor between taliban."

You're joking aren't you. Child marriage is an ingrained part of Afghan culture and has been for centuries. In fact it has always had one of the highest rates of female child marriage in the world.

Do you support the culture that is enforcing Sharia Law in our country? Men raping little girls because their culture says they can.

Once South Africa had racial segregation known as apartheid. It no longer exists because more enlightened countries imposed varying sanctions until the South African government's position became untenable.

As for your nonsensical comment about someone else's household there are laws against domestic abuse and child abuse which are society's way of drawing the line.

I totally agree, my wife was born in Tehran and we married in 1990. She has told me about the living conditions for young girls in the villages in Eastern Iran, which border Afghanistan and Pakistan, who face the same constraints placed on them by fundamentalist Islam, which is of course controlled by men. These girls face forced marriages, very often when they are extremely young, no access to education. It is heartbreaking to read about it, but the rest of the World is now powerless to do anything about it.

Her culture wasn't no education and forced marriage. Her father was proud of her. An extremist regime was enforced on her family. Not the same thing in the slightest.

America tried to turn this situation around. They failed, not only that, they retreated leaving the Taliban fully armed with American arms. If anything trying to make a change has made the situation worse over there.