She is creative, not created

It is funny how life can change in a split second: going from being a determined medicine student and social activist in Afghanistan to losing everything I have worked for, fleeing the country, and going through hell for the last two years.

My name is Noorina Khalikyar, I am a doctor, social activist and most importantly a woman. In the movie of life, we were assigned the supporting roles by birth. Frankly speaking, when I was younger I also kind of gave in to this idea that men are superior to women. But it was my father that made me see the true face of women. In fact, he made me realise that there is nothing more powerful and courageous yet so soft and elegant than women. That was the moment I started to notice my full potential. I have strived for empowering women since the day I’ve known right from wrong. I have worked with multiple NGO’s and activists in Afghanistan to break the taboo of women going to school or even demanding their rights.

I will admit that it wasn’t easy, and it still isn’t easy for me. But when I look at my sisters back in Afghanistan, all the girls leaving their houses to protest the evils of the society and demand the mere right to be treated as humans, it fills my heart. It fills my heart because I can see how courageous and brave they are. At the same time, it breaks my heart to know that even in the 21st century we are fighting for the most basic rights. I feel our struggle, I feel it because it is real. We want a real chance to live.

I left my home when the Taliban took over, leaving every bit of my life that I had built up from crumbs and pieces. I still remember hiding and leaving the country because I knew they were going to kill me. But death wasn’t the thing I was most afraid of, I was mostly afraid of them torturing my family because of me.

I have many dreams. However, one of those dreams feels like a fantasy; to see girls from my country have equal rights. I want to see my four sisters being able to choose what they want in life, not things being chosen for them. I want to go and walk around the streets of Kabul, like I used to do before 2021. I want to go and have a cup of green tea with my friends in our favourite teahouse. More than anything, I want the girls to live like they are supposed to live. From what I’ve learned, I accept that there is a difference between men and women. Women are much stronger and much more resilient.

I just want to end my article with a poem from Maulana Jalaludin E Balkhi.

“Woman is a ray of God. She is not that earthly beloved.

She is creative, not created.”

Höfundur er afganskur læknir og umsækjandi um alþjóðlega vernd.Greinin er birt í tengslum við alþjóðlegt 16 daga átak gegn kynbundnu ofbeldi.