Kabul - The Taliban cut off Safiullah
Safi's right forefinger for voting in 2014. That did not stop
the businessman from doing it again.
Safi's act of defiance in Afghanistan's 2019 presidential
elections on Saturday sparked admiration after a photo of the
38-year old was posted on Twitter showing his missing right
forefinger and the left one stained with indelible ink,
indicating he had voted.
Braving the threat of militant attacks and delays at polling
booths, Afghans cast their ballots in a major test of the
Western-backed government's ability to protect democracy.
The Taliban regime was overthrown by US-led forces in
2001. But the Islamic insurgency is now at its most powerful
since its defeat, violently disrupting the nascent democracy's
elections and carrying out gruesome, often deadly retribution on
those who take part.
Safiullah Safi got his finger chopped by the Taliban for voting in 2014; he didn’t care about getting his other fingered chopped and voted. All this is for sustaining a citizen centered republic. pic.twitter.com/0swW6AuILu
— Samim Arif (@SamimArif) September 28, 2019
During the 2014 presidential vote, Taliban fighters cut off
the fingers of at least six voters.
"I know it was a painful experience, but it was only a
finger," Safi said by telephone. "When it comes to the future of
my children and country I will not sit back even if they cut off
my whole hand."
Safi described how in 2014 he had cast his vote and a day
later travelled from the capital Kabul, where he lives, to the
eastern city of Khost, his finger marked by the ink from voting.
"The Taliban took me out of the car and away from the road
where they set up a court," he said.
"They cut off my finger, asking why I had taken part in the
election despite their warning... My family told me to not do it
this time, but instead I took them all to cast our votes."
The show of resistance was warmly met by Afghans on social
media, many of whom fear a return to Taliban rule and the end of
democracy and hard-won freedoms.
"He voted in support of democracy and for saying no to the
Taliban system," said Twitter user Kabuli.
In the parts of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban, a
larger territory now than at any point since 2001, voting is
especially fraught with danger and turnout tends to be very low.
The insurgents shut down many voting centres in a show of their
authority.