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| Afghan Lovers’ Plight Shaking Up the Lives of Those Left in Their Wake | Afghan Lovers’ Plight Shaking Up the Lives of Those Left in Their Wake |
| (4 months later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — However matters eventually turn out for the Afghan Romeo and Juliet who eloped into hiding, a happily-ever-after ending is eluding many of those whose lives crossed theirs. | |
| The couple, Zakia, 18, and Mohammad Ali, 21, fled their homes in mountainous Bamian Province after her family threatened her with an “honor killing” because she wanted to marry outside her ethnic group, and against her father’s wishes. | The couple, Zakia, 18, and Mohammad Ali, 21, fled their homes in mountainous Bamian Province after her family threatened her with an “honor killing” because she wanted to marry outside her ethnic group, and against her father’s wishes. |
| They have stayed in hiding since their escape in March, but an Afghan official who helped Zakia evade almost certain death has now fled Afghanistan and is seeking asylum in Rwanda, where she is expected to arrive Monday. | They have stayed in hiding since their escape in March, but an Afghan official who helped Zakia evade almost certain death has now fled Afghanistan and is seeking asylum in Rwanda, where she is expected to arrive Monday. |
| Zakia’s family, which included nine other children, many of them young, says it has been driven from its farm, resettling in Kabul to eke out an uncertain existence as day laborers. Mohammad Ali’s family is still on its farm in Bamian, but his father and brother say they have been forced to mortgage most of their land to raise money to help the couple by bribing officials. | Zakia’s family, which included nine other children, many of them young, says it has been driven from its farm, resettling in Kabul to eke out an uncertain existence as day laborers. Mohammad Ali’s family is still on its farm in Bamian, but his father and brother say they have been forced to mortgage most of their land to raise money to help the couple by bribing officials. |
| In part, his family says, the couple’s escape was the only way out because the money to keep paying such bribes had run out, and they feared the courts would return Zakia to her family. | In part, his family says, the couple’s escape was the only way out because the money to keep paying such bribes had run out, and they feared the courts would return Zakia to her family. |
| The couple’s story began last year when Zakia fled her family’s home and asked to be taken in by Mohammad Ali, declaring her love for him. That was such a contradiction of traditional practices that, although Zakia was legally an adult, Mohammad Ali’s father, Anwar, took her to a women’s shelter in Bamian Province. | The couple’s story began last year when Zakia fled her family’s home and asked to be taken in by Mohammad Ali, declaring her love for him. That was such a contradiction of traditional practices that, although Zakia was legally an adult, Mohammad Ali’s father, Anwar, took her to a women’s shelter in Bamian Province. |
| Zakia said her family, members of the Tajik ethnic group and Sunni Muslims, opposed the match because Mohammad Ali is a Hazara and Shiite. | Zakia said her family, members of the Tajik ethnic group and Sunni Muslims, opposed the match because Mohammad Ali is a Hazara and Shiite. |
| The matter went to court, where judges ordered Zakia returned to her family, despite her age and her wishes. Instead, the head of the Women’s Affairs Ministry office in Bamian, Fatima Kazimi, intervened to keep her protected in a shelter, suspecting Zakia’s family would kill her when they got her home. Her brothers and father have vowed in front of witnesses to kill Zakia and Mohammad Ali, and her own mother has denounced her as a whore. | The matter went to court, where judges ordered Zakia returned to her family, despite her age and her wishes. Instead, the head of the Women’s Affairs Ministry office in Bamian, Fatima Kazimi, intervened to keep her protected in a shelter, suspecting Zakia’s family would kill her when they got her home. Her brothers and father have vowed in front of witnesses to kill Zakia and Mohammad Ali, and her own mother has denounced her as a whore. |
| But then on March 20, Zakia climbed the wall of the women’s shelter in the middle of the night and eloped with Mohammad Ali, and they have remained in hiding since. | But then on March 20, Zakia climbed the wall of the women’s shelter in the middle of the night and eloped with Mohammad Ali, and they have remained in hiding since. |
| Ms. Kazimi said that she was blamed for engineering their escape, and that Zakia’s family threatened her life as a result. She made it known that she wanted to flee the country, as did Zakia and Mohammad Ali. | Ms. Kazimi said that she was blamed for engineering their escape, and that Zakia’s family threatened her life as a result. She made it known that she wanted to flee the country, as did Zakia and Mohammad Ali. |
| The American philanthropist Miriam Adelson, wife of the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, expressed an interest in helping the couple and anyone involved in their case, and she persuaded the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, to offer them asylum. Because Ms. Kazimi had a passport, that was fairly easy to arrange once she got to India, where there were Rwandan consular services. | The American philanthropist Miriam Adelson, wife of the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, expressed an interest in helping the couple and anyone involved in their case, and she persuaded the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, to offer them asylum. Because Ms. Kazimi had a passport, that was fairly easy to arrange once she got to India, where there were Rwandan consular services. |
| Ms. Kazimi confirmed, in an interview a week ago, that she planned to go to Rwanda with her husband and children. | Ms. Kazimi confirmed, in an interview a week ago, that she planned to go to Rwanda with her husband and children. |
| The minister of women’s affairs, however, was critical of Ms. Kazimi’s motives. “Her life is not in danger,” said the minister, Husn Banu Ghazanfar. “Our life is in danger because of her. Bamian is one of the safest places in the country; she’s just trying to make a deal for herself.” | The minister of women’s affairs, however, was critical of Ms. Kazimi’s motives. “Her life is not in danger,” said the minister, Husn Banu Ghazanfar. “Our life is in danger because of her. Bamian is one of the safest places in the country; she’s just trying to make a deal for herself.” |
| It was more difficult, however, for Ms. Adelson’s contacts to make arrangements for the couple, since they had no passports. Western embassies have been reluctant to get involved because of criminal charges of bigamy brought against them by Zakia’s family, who claimed she had been married previously. | It was more difficult, however, for Ms. Adelson’s contacts to make arrangements for the couple, since they had no passports. Western embassies have been reluctant to get involved because of criminal charges of bigamy brought against them by Zakia’s family, who claimed she had been married previously. |
| Many others have been affected by their escape, as well. Najeeba Ahmadi, who is the head of the shelter that Zakia escaped from, said she had been blamed. “This is a shelter, not a prison, but they blame me from both sides, the government and the family. The family says, ‘We want our daughter back, dead or alive.’ ” | Many others have been affected by their escape, as well. Najeeba Ahmadi, who is the head of the shelter that Zakia escaped from, said she had been blamed. “This is a shelter, not a prison, but they blame me from both sides, the government and the family. The family says, ‘We want our daughter back, dead or alive.’ ” |
| Meanwhile, Zakia’s family fled Bamian because of the anger among Hazara neighbors who sympathized with the couple. “We left everything, whatever we had in our home, our fields, everything,” said Gula Khan, 21, her brother. “If we were men, we would do something,” and “take our revenge.” | Meanwhile, Zakia’s family fled Bamian because of the anger among Hazara neighbors who sympathized with the couple. “We left everything, whatever we had in our home, our fields, everything,” said Gula Khan, 21, her brother. “If we were men, we would do something,” and “take our revenge.” |
| Mohammad Ali’s relatives say they have been financially ruined by the elopement. His father, Anwar, has mortgaged most of his 28 acres to pay what he said amounted to $22,000 in bribes during the nearly six months that Zakia was in the shelter while the courts tried to compel officials to turn her over to her family. Anwar said he paid bribes to government officials on many levels to prevent that from happening. (Like most of his and Zakia’s family, he goes by one name.) | Mohammad Ali’s relatives say they have been financially ruined by the elopement. His father, Anwar, has mortgaged most of his 28 acres to pay what he said amounted to $22,000 in bribes during the nearly six months that Zakia was in the shelter while the courts tried to compel officials to turn her over to her family. Anwar said he paid bribes to government officials on many levels to prevent that from happening. (Like most of his and Zakia’s family, he goes by one name.) |
| “There was no way but to give our lands, all of our best fields,” said Anwar’s son Bismullah. “My father has high blood pressure, but we don’t even have money to take him to the clinic.” | “There was no way but to give our lands, all of our best fields,” said Anwar’s son Bismullah. “My father has high blood pressure, but we don’t even have money to take him to the clinic.” |
| Mohammad Ali was reached by cellphone in hiding at an undisclosed location. Instead of a ring, his phone plays one of the love songs of Ahmad Zahir, considered the Elvis Presley of Afghanistan, a crooner who sang rock songs based on Persian ballads, and was killed by the communists in 1979. | Mohammad Ali was reached by cellphone in hiding at an undisclosed location. Instead of a ring, his phone plays one of the love songs of Ahmad Zahir, considered the Elvis Presley of Afghanistan, a crooner who sang rock songs based on Persian ballads, and was killed by the communists in 1979. |
| “I know it’s extremely hard for my family,” he said. “I feel bad for this; I didn’t know how much my father had to give. You spend your life in hope, and I’m just hoping now that God will help us.” | “I know it’s extremely hard for my family,” he said. “I feel bad for this; I didn’t know how much my father had to give. You spend your life in hope, and I’m just hoping now that God will help us.” |
| He passed the phone to Zakia, who seemed unmoved by word of her family’s new situation. “God be with them, but why should I miss them? I know it’s my family, but they only want to do me harm.” | He passed the phone to Zakia, who seemed unmoved by word of her family’s new situation. “God be with them, but why should I miss them? I know it’s my family, but they only want to do me harm.” |