Afghan Woman, 22, Faces Stoning Death for Secret Taekwondo Classes for Girls
A 22-year-old Afghan woman, Khadija Ahmadzada, is feared to be facing a death sentence by stoning after being arrested for secretly teaching girls taekwondo in defiance of the Taliban's strict bans on women's sports and education. The case has sparked international outrage and urgent calls for intervention from human rights activists.
Arrest and Alleged Sentence
Khadija Ahmadzada was arrested on January 10 in Herat, Afghanistan, after Taliban authorities discovered she was conducting taekwondo lessons for girls in a hidden courtyard at her home. This activity directly violates the Taliban's prohibition on women participating in sports, which has been enforced since the group retook control of the country in 2021.
Activists, including British-Afghan campaigner Shabnam Nasimi, have raised alarms that Ahmadzada may have already been sentenced to death by stoning for her actions. Nasimi shared on Instagram that witnesses reported Ahmadzada and her father were dragged from their home and detained, with the family hearing nothing from her for over a week. Rumours suggest a court has ruled on an extreme punishment, highlighting the brutal nature of stoning, where individuals are pelted with stones until death.
Activist Response and International Pressure
Shabnam Nasimi has called for a global campaign to "flood the internet" with Ahmadzada's name to draw international attention and potentially save her life. She argued that when regimes like the Taliban face global scrutiny, they may hesitate due to fear of consequences, pressure, and intervention, rather than moral reconsideration. The hope is that making Ahmadzada's case famous could compel the Taliban to back down.
This incident underscores the broader crackdown on women's rights in Afghanistan, where girls are barred from schools, forced to wear full veils, and restricted in public interactions. The Taliban's "vice prevention strategy" has even banned women from singing or speaking loudly, creating a climate of fear documented by UN reports.
Broader Context of Women's Oppression
Since the Taliban's resurgence in 2021, Afghan women and girls have faced systematic oppression, described by UNICEF as "the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world." Beyond sports bans, women report incidents of rape, beatings, and forced labour by Taliban officials, particularly affecting female beggars. The UN has noted that Taliban policies contribute to widespread intimidation, especially targeting women.
Ahmadzada's case is a stark example of the risks Afghan women take to defy these restrictions. Her quiet act of defiance—teaching taekwondo to empower girls—has now placed her in grave danger, symbolising the ongoing struggle for basic freedoms in the country.
