GG News Bureau
Kabul. July 10-In a disturbing and gut-wrenching incident from Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a 6-year-old girl has been married off to a 45-year-old man. The shocking images of the wedding, revealed by an Afghanistan-based outlet in the U.S., have sparked global outrage and forced even Taliban officials to temporarily intervene.
According to reports, the Taliban authorities stopped the girl from being sent to her husband’s home—but only temporarily. A Taliban spokesperson chillingly stated that “she can be sent to her husband once she turns nine.”
The 45-year-old man allegedly paid money to the child’s family in exchange for the marriage, which took place in Marjah district. Police later detained the father and the groom, but no criminal charges have been filed yet—a reflection of the systemic acceptance of such acts under the Taliban regime.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, child marriage has soared, along with societal acceptance of the brutal practice. With girls banned from schools and workplaces, many Afghan families now view daughters as burdens to be “disposed of” early. A recent report highlights a 25% surge in child marriages and a 45% rise in teen pregnancies under the Taliban’s gender-apartheid rule.
Ancient Practices, Modern Horrors
Child marriages in Afghanistan are often rooted in age-old customs. One such is the “valwar” system, where girls are sold like property—priced according to their looks, health, and education. In some regions, girls are bartered as “peace offerings” in blood-feud settlements under the barbaric “bad-nam” tradition.
In many cases, widowed girls are forcibly married off again—often to a relative of the deceased—with no regard for their consent or well-being.
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Top Brass
In a historic move, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued sealed arrest warrants against Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Afghanistan’s so-called Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, charging them with crimes against humanity. The court accuses the Taliban regime of orchestrating widespread persecution, rape, torture, and murder against women and girls between August 2021 and January 2025.
The ICC also underlined that the Taliban’s systematic denial of education, movement, and freedom of expression to Afghan women is not just oppression—it constitutes gender-based persecution at a state level.
Taliban Bans Women’s Education, Voice & Nursing
In a string of misogynistic decrees, the Taliban has banned women from singing, reciting religious verses aloud, and even studying to become nurses. In December 2024, female nursing education was abruptly halted—without explanation. Afghanistan now faces a dire shortage of medical staff, further endangering lives.
Women are banned from schools, universities, parks, gyms, and public baths. They cannot work, travel without a male guardian, or show their faces in public. The Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia law considers menstruation as the threshold of womanhood—making even young girls eligible for marriage regardless of age.
Russia Becomes First Country to Recognize Taliban
In a move that has stunned the international community, Russia officially recognized the Taliban government on July 3, 2025. The announcement came after a high-level meeting in Kabul between Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov and Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Taliban leaders hailed the decision as “courageous” and expressed hopes that other nations would follow Russia’s lead.
But as the world debates politics, Afghanistan’s daughters continue to vanish into a brutal medieval nightmare—sold, silenced, and sacrificed.
