Photo/Illutration Narges Mohammadi in 2021 in Tehran (Reihane Taravati via AP)

“My Pen Is The Wing of A Bird,” translated into Japanese under the title of “Watashi no pen wa tori no tsubasa,” is an anthology of short fiction by 18 Afghan women.

One of the stories, titled “Hana” (Flowers), is based on a terrorist attack that occurred two years ago.

Two high school girls stand in the middle of a road in protest. They are filled with a sense of happiness as they shout, “We want books and teachers.”

The protagonist has been forced to drop out of school to marry a man chosen by her family and neighbors. Her best friend, a progressive who encourages her not to give up and stands by her at the street protest, is killed shortly later in the terrorist attack.

On the night of her friend’s death, the protagonist declares to her family, “I am going back to school.” Her mother becomes flustered, but her father tells her, “Go back to school, my dear girl, and live your own life.”

Planned and published by a British institution, the book does not introduce the authors as is generally customary. The reason is to protect their safety by keeping their identities vague. In fact, some of the authors wrote under pseudonyms.

Narges Mohammadi of Iran won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. A vocal women’s rights advocate, she has been arrested multiple times, and is currently imprisoned in Tehran.

Mohammadi was quoted by a U.S. daily as saying she would never give up. Her resolve touches me.

The chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee referred to “Women, Life, Freedom” at the start of her official announcement. She also noted that the failure to respect women, who make up half of the world’s population, is a global problem.

In Iran, demonstrations pushing for women’s rights have been spreading since last year.

Around the world, women are still being tormented by patriarchal and repressive societies. And in some countries, telling their stories or voicing dissent could cost them their lives. We must not forget that.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 7

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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