Afghan Bride: Virginity or Death

Old traditions in Afghan society dictate that a bride must be a virgin, and her virginity must be proven. An Afghan woman, speaking on condition of anonymity in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Afghanistan section, stated that in some areas of the country, it is still customary for the groom's family to check for bloodstains on the wedding night to confirm the bride's virginity. Even being accused of having sexual relations before marriage can have dire consequences. In many cases, the groom's family demands that the bride's family provide another daughter as compensation for a bride whose virginity has been 'damaged.' Girls who are not virgins may even be imprisoned for having 'illicit' relationships, and numerous reports of abuse and mistreatment of these girls have surfaced. An Afghan woman recounted that in some cases, the bride's ears or nose are cut off, they are dressed in ragged and dirty clothes, and sent back to their parents' home. Their hair is shaved off, and their families are told that the bride was not a virgin. Sometimes, the bride is killed, and her body is sent back to her family. This issue is taboo in Afghanistan, and no one speaks about it. However, public and violent punishments for girls accused of having sexual relations before marriage have recently brought this issue into public discourse. In late November, a 26-year-old woman died from injuries after being whipped in public in Ghor province for allegedly fleeing her home. In October, a 19-year-old girl named Rokhsana was stoned to death by the Taliban in the same province for allegedly having premarital sexual relations. In August, a man and woman were whipped in public for having sexual relations outside of marriage in the same province. Typically, the families of these girls and women are the ones who punish them. In some cases, they are ostracized by their families or handed over to government authorities or the ruling group in the area for punishment. In the most horrific cases, family members such as fathers or brothers kill them, known as honor killings. Maryam Zormati, an inspector with the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, told Radio Free Afghanistan that the prevailing culture in many families is to return the unfortunate girl to her family. That family, in an attempt to avoid disgrace, gives another daughter to the groom's family. In some areas, women are simply killed. In other cases, even after years of marriage, men continue to abuse their wives in various ways. Mardieh, a woman living in Parwan province who prefers to remain anonymous, says that even after years of marriage, her sister's husband beats and abuses her sister due to suspicions about her virginity on her wedding night. Mardieh states, 'My sister did not bleed on her wedding night. Her husband beat her severely, and her entire body was bruised and injured. This abuse continues, and her husband always repeats that her honor has been tarnished.' Afghan brides are even forced to undergo 'virginity tests' before marriage. These tests are conducted by doctors in public health clinics. Human rights groups and international organizations state that such tests violate international laws and cannot scientifically or medically determine a woman's sexual history. Tarna Yadgari, a doctor residing in Kabul, also confirms that virginity tests are not medically valid but adds that dozens of these tests are conducted annually in public health clinics in Kabul. According to Afghanistan's penal laws, acts such as having sexual relations outside of marriage or girls fleeing from home are not considered crimes. Nevertheless, hundreds of women and girls are found guilty of committing 'immoral acts' by courts that are usually controlled by religious conservatives and are punished. The Afghan constitution states that 'no law can be contrary to the sacred Sharia of Islam,' but the rulings issued by courts to punish girls and women contradict the secular sections of Afghanistan's constitution. In some rural areas of Afghanistan where the Taliban still have significant influence, people consider government institutions to be ineffective or corrupt and often turn to Taliban courts to resolve disputes. Taliban courts operate based on a very radical interpretation of Islamic Sharia, which typically issues sentences of death, whipping, or stoning for those who engage in sexual relations outside of traditional marriage.