Surya and I just watched the Aug 9, 2022 Frontline special ‘Afghanistan Undercover’, a PBS documentary directed by the amazing Iranian journalist Ramita Navai. After the U.S exited the country one year ago, the Taliban in Afghanistan have pulled the human rights rug right out from underneath women in that society. It reveals just how devastating and exploitive fundamentalist religion can be and, when mixed with male domination, leaves women vulnerable to neglect and abuse.
It is truly remarkable how gutsy and resolved Ramita Navai and her team are infiltrating the homes, safe-houses and prisons in Afghanistan to capture (often with camera concealed) the confinement and suppression of women. We talk about courage and virya in yoga, but Ramita Navai’s resolve to bring the truths of women’s suffering to light is remarkable. At Prajna Yoga we are committed to combatting misogyny of all kinds. We advocate for gender equality and to stopping violence against women. As disheartening as it can be to witness this documentary, we feel it is essential to be in the know for what is happening in light of women’s rights, world-wide.
If you do not see the documentary, listen to the interview on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross here: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/04/1115557473/undercover-afghanistan-taliban-women-ramita-navai.
