Sam Farr: “our lives are marked by noises and silences. We wake each morning to an alarm clock, we return to bed quietly each night…”

“our lives are marked by noises and silences. We wake each morning to an alarm clock, we return to bed quietly each night to sleep. We hear the scream of our children being born, the cheers at their graduation ceremonies, and the hush at the funerals of our parents. To these, we have recently added the low rumble of buildings collapsing, the tones of thousands of Americans singing before our baseball games and on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building, and the silence of moments of private reflection. The lives of the millions of women in Afghanistan are also marked by the noises and silences around them. They hear the sound of their front doors closing as their husbands leave for jobs, something these women are no longer allowed to hold. As they walk by schools, always accompanied by a male relative, they hear lessons being taught, but only to their sons. These women hear the sound of beatings and public executions of women suspected of adultery, or who have cut their hair short, worn colorful clothes, nail polish, or white socks. The lives of women in Afghanistan often depend on silence. They must not walk loudly. They must not talk loudly. They must not laugh in public. They must wear burqas, allowing only some sight, covering their ears and mouths entirely. The women of Afghanistan recognize that their lives also depend on breaking silences.”