Hidden voices in published words...

A close friend of mine recently gave me the books WASHING THE DUST FROM OUR HEARTS and THE SKY IS A NEST OF SWALLOWS.  These contain poetry, prose and essays by the writers of the Afghan Women's Writing Project.  These are women who have been so suppressed from thinking, from doing, from being--even their writing must be done in secret with names changed and locations hidden.

After looking over the books, I decided to read aloud one morning. I couldn't believe the sensation that took over because of the clarity of the writing.  I was at once that woman--the writer of the story.  I could picture myself obscured from all eyes, holding a tablet soiled due to the necessity to keep it hidden, and writing words that came from the deepest part of my soul.

One such piece reads:

Read My Poems on the Reddish Stream of My Blood
  by Emaan

I want to write, I want to write about
My dreams which never come true,
My power that has always been ignored,
My voice which is never heard by this deaf universe,
My rights which have never been counted,
My life decisions which are always made by others.
Oh my destiny, give me the answer, what am I for in this universe?
What does it mean to be an Afghan woman?
Hmm, I know you can't provide me with an elegant answer so
Just give me the pen, the hidden pen
So that I can write, that is all I am asking for!

I promise I will take revenge, but not like men
By gun and sword and aggression,
Instead I will write.
I will write even if I am warned not to touch a pen or paper,
I know one thing, that they can't see that hidden pen with their
Blind eyes, no matter how strong their vision.
My eyes will read my environment, my brain will save the details,
And I will write with the hidden pen on the chambers of my heart,
So that when I am caught and executed,
Perhaps in Ghazi stadium like other innocent Afghan women,
People can read my poems on the reddish stream made by my blood.

I will start writing with the hidden pen, and
I know this will lead to a day when girls of this land will be able
To write with chalk on the blackboards of the school
Or by markers on the whiteboards of universities,
And one day they will make their voice heard--
Then the hidden pen will be remembered forever!

From the Introduction of these published books come the founder's words:  AWWP was founded in May 2009 to encourage and nurture Afghan women as they explore the power of their voices and reflect upon themselves, their histories and their possibilities.

We wanted their stories, but we knew we needed to be cautious. These women, in offering up their private thoughts and experiences for outsiders--Americans, no less--were embarked on an act of breathtaking courage within the traditions of their society.  Some came from families that believed a woman who used a cellphone was a whore.  Our growing volunteer team created a blog to feature their work, and we agreed:  no full names, no sharing of emails, no specific locators.
                                                                                            -- Masha Hamilton
                                                                                                 AWWP Founder

Visit awwproject.org for more information about the Afghan Women's Writing Project.

I invite you to visit the above website and purchase their books. In the process you will find out more about the courageous women whose one mode of expression, though done in secret, has given them a voice to the world.

History is changed by the small actions of ordinary people.

                         -- Zahra A.