Swallows of Kabul
Overcoming Cruelty Adolf Hitler once said, “I do not see why man should not be as cruel as nature.” Hitler was an extremist who used cruelty against the Jews during the Holocaust. Today, the Taliban uses the same cruelty against the people in Kabul. The Taliban’s acts are limitless, especially towards the women of Kabul. From the public executions, mistreatment of women, and their strict laws, they show no remorse, which demonstrated true cruelty. In the novel Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra some truly experience cruelty more than others. Whether being the one treated cruel of treating others cruel, the Taliban, women, and Kabul in general experience cruelty in everyday life. The Taliban is taking over Kabul day by day with their intense cruelty. They may be the law, but they don’t enforce it in the peoples’ best interest. They turned Kabul from a city to a hopeless wonder. From their strict laws such as no music, no public affection, and pure cruelty towards women, Kabul revolves around the Taliban. Ever since they have been in charge the city has changed, and not for the good. They even started public executions where they are constantly killing people, innocent and all. In the very beginning of The Swallows of Kabul a mullah states, “She has no right to his mercy, no right to the pity. She has lived in dishonor; so she shall die.” (13-14) being accused of prostitution, a woman is stoned at a public execution. Without any pity the Taliban kills a citizen because of alleged prostitution. As people gathered to watch the horrible event, the Taliban deceived and lied to those who watched to make them think that what they was doing was justified. The woman was not asked or given a chance to explain herself, but she was quickly executed. The action of killing a person so heartlessly shows that the Taliban do not care about the people of their own community. They turn people against each other by feeding them lies, so in the end everyone will abide by them right