12-years old Rahima was gang-raped by warlords

Translated from Shafaq Monthly (published from Kabul), November 2004

On October 21, 2004, 12-years old Rahima daughter of Abdul Karim students of class 4 in Fatima-tul-Zahra school in Kundoz Province in north of Afghanistan was abducted while she was on the way to home from school. She was living with her family in the Madarassa-e- Khyaban area of Kundoz.

She was abducted by gunmen in a red Broadway car by Anzar Gul (from Panjsher), Daoud son of Rajab (from Orta Blaq), Allah Mohammed brother of Commander Abdul Kundozi and Agha Jan Panjsheri, who all live in Konduz. After abduction she was drugged by placing a cloth laced with a drug to make her unconscious.

	Stoning to death -- human rights scandal Discrimination against women in Afghanistan will continue to have grave consequences until the government takes concrete steps to end it, said Amnesty International following the killing by stoning of a 29 year-old woman accused of adultery. According to eyewitnesses, the 29-year old, named only as Amina, was dragged out of her parent's house in Urgu District, Badakhan province by her husband and local officials before being publicly stoned to death. The man accused of committing adultery with her is alleged to have been whipped a hundred times and freed. According to reports, Amina was condemned to death by local court and then killed within approximately 48 hours. "The case of Amina demonstrates the failure of the Afghan government to protect, ensure and dispense justice, particularly for women," said Amnesty International. "The Afghan government has the responsibility of protecting women from violence, committed not only by the state but also by private individuals and groups." Amnesty International welcomes the promised investigation by the Afghan government into Amina's unlawful death and to bring all those responsible to justice.
	Amnesty International Press Release, 26 April 2005

While she became conscious, then realized she was in Dashte-Abadan, where she was continuously raped for several hours. The next day they took her to Agha Jan’s house in Kundoz, where they spent the night, and again Rahima is being gang-raped by a number of gunmen. The next day she was taken to the home brother of General Khalil Andarabi. Upon arriving at General Khalil’s house she was again subjected to more torture and raped repeatedly. On the next day she was taken to Charekar, to the residence of Haider Painsheri, where again she was tortured.

Over the next several days she was taken to Pule-Khumri, Charekar, Kabul (in the house of Haider Panjsheri) then Mazar-e-Sharif, and back to Pule-Khumri, over these days she was subjected to inhumane actions.

Then finally Anzar Gul is arrested by police and openly confessed to the raping, without any remorse for his actions. Then he allowing with police and father of Rahima come to Pul-e-Khumri where they recover Rahima who was then taken to the house Azam Burdi, village leader in Kundoz because her family fear further attack on her by warlords.

The ringleader of this atrocious group is the brother of General Abdul. Last Year General Abdul’s group did the same thing to a 13 year old girl from the same school as Rahima. The human rights outlets and Radio Azadi had sufficient news and information about the incident, but no one paid any attention, since the perpetrators were all people who have authority

Luckily Rahima was recovered by her father after weeks of torture, the memories she has will haunt her for the rest of her life. Just imagine how many other Afghan women have been objected to this torture but unfortunately in Afghanistan only few of rape incidents are publicized and victims usually keep silence fearing more defamation in society.

The case of Rahima was widely covered by Afghan media and Persian language Radios but unfortunately no foreign media published her sad story.