MUSIC
DR HABIBA SARABI You know that because of war and conflict in Afghanistan, lack of education, lack of awareness, people think that women like a material, not like a human being. Or if they think like a human being, it is second step of human being.
DR HABIBA SARABI Always the men in Afghanistan think that they are the power, they are the authority to speak, to make decisions, to do everything! And to not accept for women to be side by him and to think with him, to talk with him. Thats why this is a male dominated country!
MUSIC
NARRATION In the city of Herat in western Afghanistan, the disturbing phenomenon of self immolation is causing great concern.
DR RAFYUN AZIZII say that burning and self immolation is madness in the human self. Why do they do this? They lose their sense of being, then they set fire to themselves. It is very dangerous and no one accepts this.
NARRATION There is only one hospital in Heart with the facilities to treat victims. Out of the12 women in the burns ward, none of them tell the truth about what happened. They are both scared and ashamed.
FRIGULI dropped the fuel when the lantern burned.If I was fighting with them, why would I burn my body? If I was a prostitute, they couldnt make me burn my body!
NARRATION Doctors here treat up to 30 women per month. Their pain is intolerable.
DR FRAIDOON The only people that burn themselves are women and girls. No man will burn himself because they can get their rights and they think that they have rights. But women can not get the rights that they have and there is no place that they can get it so they burn themselves.
DR SOLAYHA HEKMAT How did you burn yourself?
IDEMAH I dropped the petrol in the lantern and it fell down from my hand to the floor. The fuel exploded and burnt me. I dont understand, everything burned! It is Gods will. It was my destiny.
DR SOLAYHA HEKMAT It is not accidentally and I think she has the family problems with husband and also she has 3 children but it is the relation between the husband and she is very sad and regrets from this burning herself. And the condition is not good. She will die.
FRIGUL When a person becomes a mother there is a lot of suffering and pain. They will hear a lot of offensive language. Is it good to self immolate? Is it good to burn your body? Is it good? No, it is not good!
NARRATION The men wait outside. Due to the great sense of shame associated with self immolation, no one will admit to being related to these women but they will talk about it.
This happens because they give very young girls 10 or 12 years old - to men like this old father to earn about $10,000. The girls dont want him and then they burn themselves! It is very bad and there is nothing worse than this in the world! They give them away to get rich. They dont think about their daughters futures. They sell them!
NARRATION Self immolation does happen in other parts of the country even in the capital city Kabul - but the majority of cases occur in Herat.
DR HABIBA SARABI It is a big problem in Herat because Herat is a city of culture and knowledge and everything. Many people are educated so they cant afford pressure to themselves so thats why they make the reaction through the self immolation.
NARRATION Zohra is 19 years old. 8 months ago she set herself on fire after an argument with her new husband. Since leaving hospital, she lives with her mother and father.
ZOHRA My in-laws were very closed people. I mean that they did not think that women are free and that women are human beings. They thought that a woman is a hostage. The reason that I burnt my body is that I am from the city and they are from a village. I couldnt stay there!
ZOHRA No one should do this! They must go to their father and mothers house for advice. They shouldnt do this!
NARRATION Zohra was beaten by her husband and is now divorced. Domestic violence is a big problem in Afghanistan.
NOOR MOHAMMED This is the thing I want to tell you. If they cant spend their life with her, then they shouldnt fight her. If they cant keep her, they shouldnt beat her. During the Taliban regime a lot of women were tortured but now the new government in Afghanistan is good.
NARRATION In a country where women are frequently oppressed, self immolation is a desperate attempt to escape.
MUSIC
DR RAFYUN AZIZI It is just like fighting. Fighting destroys people, destroys places, destroys human beings. It is all due to the lack of education and being careless with people and families. Every organisation should be involved in this, especially human rights. They should defend womens rights.
DR RAFYUN AZIZI When women understand that they have rights - those that are given in Islam when they find their rights and defend them. When they do this, then it will stop.
MUSIC
END
DR HABIBA SARABI You know that because of war and conflict in Afghanistan, lack of education, lack of awareness, people think that women like a material, not like a human being. Or if they think like a human being, it is second step of human being.
DR HABIBA SARABI Always the men in Afghanistan think that they are the power, they are the authority to speak, to make decisions, to do everything! And to not accept for women to be side by him and to think with him, to talk with him. Thats why this is a male dominated country!
MUSIC
NARRATION In the city of Herat in western Afghanistan, the disturbing phenomenon of self immolation is causing great concern.
DR RAFYUN AZIZII say that burning and self immolation is madness in the human self. Why do they do this? They lose their sense of being, then they set fire to themselves. It is very dangerous and no one accepts this.
NARRATION There is only one hospital in Heart with the facilities to treat victims. Out of the12 women in the burns ward, none of them tell the truth about what happened. They are both scared and ashamed.
FRIGULI dropped the fuel when the lantern burned.If I was fighting with them, why would I burn my body? If I was a prostitute, they couldnt make me burn my body!
NARRATION Doctors here treat up to 30 women per month. Their pain is intolerable.
DR FRAIDOON The only people that burn themselves are women and girls. No man will burn himself because they can get their rights and they think that they have rights. But women can not get the rights that they have and there is no place that they can get it so they burn themselves.
DR SOLAYHA HEKMAT How did you burn yourself?
IDEMAH I dropped the petrol in the lantern and it fell down from my hand to the floor. The fuel exploded and burnt me. I dont understand, everything burned! It is Gods will. It was my destiny.
DR SOLAYHA HEKMAT It is not accidentally and I think she has the family problems with husband and also she has 3 children but it is the relation between the husband and she is very sad and regrets from this burning herself. And the condition is not good. She will die.
FRIGUL When a person becomes a mother there is a lot of suffering and pain. They will hear a lot of offensive language. Is it good to self immolate? Is it good to burn your body? Is it good? No, it is not good!
NARRATION The men wait outside. Due to the great sense of shame associated with self immolation, no one will admit to being related to these women but they will talk about it.
This happens because they give very young girls 10 or 12 years old - to men like this old father to earn about $10,000. The girls dont want him and then they burn themselves! It is very bad and there is nothing worse than this in the world! They give them away to get rich. They dont think about their daughters futures. They sell them!
NARRATION Self immolation does happen in other parts of the country even in the capital city Kabul - but the majority of cases occur in Herat.
DR HABIBA SARABI It is a big problem in Herat because Herat is a city of culture and knowledge and everything. Many people are educated so they cant afford pressure to themselves so thats why they make the reaction through the self immolation.
NARRATION Zohra is 19 years old. 8 months ago she set herself on fire after an argument with her new husband. Since leaving hospital, she lives with her mother and father.
ZOHRA My in-laws were very closed people. I mean that they did not think that women are free and that women are human beings. They thought that a woman is a hostage. The reason that I burnt my body is that I am from the city and they are from a village. I couldnt stay there!
ZOHRA No one should do this! They must go to their father and mothers house for advice. They shouldnt do this!
NARRATION Zohra was beaten by her husband and is now divorced. Domestic violence is a big problem in Afghanistan.
NOOR MOHAMMED This is the thing I want to tell you. If they cant spend their life with her, then they shouldnt fight her. If they cant keep her, they shouldnt beat her. During the Taliban regime a lot of women were tortured but now the new government in Afghanistan is good.
NARRATION In a country where women are frequently oppressed, self immolation is a desperate attempt to escape.
MUSIC
DR RAFYUN AZIZI It is just like fighting. Fighting destroys people, destroys places, destroys human beings. It is all due to the lack of education and being careless with people and families. Every organisation should be involved in this, especially human rights. They should defend womens rights.
DR RAFYUN AZIZI When women understand that they have rights - those that are given in Islam when they find their rights and defend them. When they do this, then it will stop.
MUSIC
END