Veiled Threat

"Veiled Threat is Sally Armstrong's testimony to what she saw in Afghanistan. It not only describes the Taliban's brutality, but also the enduring courage of the women who resisted it for five years. Her account is both panoramic and nuanced: she describes the "dreadfully misogynist interpretation of Islam" that has taken hold in much of the region and then focuses on the individuals who have suffered under its yoke. She tells the story of Dr. Sima Samar, a deputy prime minister who operated secret schools and hospitals for girls, and many others whose small acts of resistance were statements…