Afghan refugees who survived terrible spouse attack plead for girls who are still in the country

A woman fled to Canada as a refugee because her husband shot her in the face Afghanistan, Said she received heartbreaking requests for help from women who are still trapped in the country.

Shakila Zareen, who was only 17 years old, was forcibly married to a cousin who was 14 years older than her and had ties to the Taliban.

In 2013, her husband shot her in the face, leaving her with life-changing injuries and requiring 23 reconstructive surgeries. She has more things to do.

In 2018, Canada accepted her as a refugee.

2:17A British Columbian woman’s fear of women and girls remaining in Afghanistan under the Taliban

Now that the Taliban controls Afghanistan again, she is worried about what will happen to her family in Afghanistan.

“My ex-husband shot me and killed me. He is working with the Taliban and my family is still in Afghanistan. Now I am scared,” she told Global News.

“Look at my body. I didn’t laugh. I lost my smile. I don’t want to cry anymore. I am strong, but now I am not strong.”

Since fleeing Afghanistan, the 25-year-old has become an internationally renowned women’s rights activist.

But that battle, along with her criticism of the Taliban, has become the target of her two sisters and three brothers-one of whom is a member of the Afghan army.

5:34An uncertain future for Afghan women and girls

The family is now in hiding, and Zareen said she began to receive threatening messages from her ex-brother-in-law, including photos of armed men.

“I am afraid that the Taliban will come and kill them,” she said.

“Every time I check my phone, someone in my head will text me,’I killed your brother or sister.’ I can’t sleep. I have a lot of depression.”

Zareen’s brothers and sisters are just some of the thousands of Afghans desperate to flee since the Taliban quickly took power last month.

After 20 years of war, all foreign troops, including Canadian and American troops, left the country in August.

The Taliban claimed that it had changed, but Zaarin said it was not true. She said that she had received a bombardment of messages from women and girls who wanted the world to know they lived in hell.

“My heart is bleeding, especially for girls. Every day they will text me:’Shakila, help me, they will kill me,'” she said.

“I can’t do anything.”

Zareen thinks Justin Trudeau saved her life. She now begs him to let her brothers and sisters and many other vulnerable Afghans who have been left behind pass safely.

“I hope Justin Trudeau will help my family,” she said.

“I just want to help my family, especially girls, because women in Afghanistan are in a difficult situation.”