Yvonne Ridley, Taliban Captive Speaks

British journalist Yvonne Ridley made international headlines last year when she entered Afghanistan and was held captive by the Taliban.

She was eventually released and went on to write about her experiences in a book entitled In the Hands of the Taliban published by Robson Books in the U.K.

She is again in the news after announcing that she plans to convert to Islam. In this revealing interview, conducted August 26th, 2002, with IslamOnline's Mohammed Ayub Khan she talks about her religious background, her encounters with the Taliban and her decision to convert to Islam.

Interviewed by Mohammed Ayub Khan

* IslamOnline: First of all I would ask you to tell us a little about your religious background?

- Yvonne Ridley: I was brought up a protestant, in the Church of England. I sang in the church choir and was the Sunday school teacher in my village in the north of England.

* Did you have any knowledge about Islam before your encounter with the Taliban?

- Nothing more factual than would fill the back of a postage stamp. Of course I'd subscribed to all the myths about women being subjugated and how it was an evil and violent religion full of fanatics.

* Are you planning to convert to Islam or have you done so already?

- I am on the road to conversion. Reports that I have already converted are premature.

* What led to your conversion to Islam?

- I made a promise to a Taliban cleric that I would study Islam - if I was released. He had just asked me if I wanted to convert and I was terrified to say ‘yes' or ‘no' because either response could have drawn accusations that I was fickle or insulting and therefore be stoned!

* If there is one thing you find most attractive in Islam, what would that be?

- The real inspiration has been meeting and getting to know all the sisters. Without exception I have found them to be highly intelligent, opinionated, vocal, motivated, switched on to international and political affairs and be highly supportive. Of course this blows the myth that Muslim women are shy, retiring, timid creatures who are rarely seen and heard.

* Tell us a little about your days in Taliban captivity?

- I was terrified. Not only had I been captured by the most brutal, evil regime in the world [President Bush's words, not mine] but they hated women as well! I never thought I would see the sun set that first day. There were several other times when I thought I would be flogged or executed. There was one occasion when I lost my temper and spat and swore at my captors while being held in Kabul Prison. I thought that might provoke a hostile reaction but they looked hurt and told me I was their "guest" and their "sister"!

After several days of interrogation at the Jalalabad Intelligence HQ, I was told that they believed I was an American spy and that was quite unnerving. They also gave me a wedding dress before a cleric asked me if I wanted to convert to Islam and that was scary. All I can say is that some man in Afghanistan has had a pretty lucky escape!

On the whole, they treated me with great courtesy and respect despite my adverse reaction to being locked up. I had entered their country illegally without a passport and visa so, yes, I was totally in the wrong and could easily have been charged and put on trial. My treatment by the most brutal, evil regime in the world, is a total contrast to the treatment of those men being held in Camp X-Ray.

* Were you able to meet any of their women?

- The only women I met while I was in captivity were six Christian charity workers, three female prison officers and two Afghan women who were locked up for trying to sell a carpet to strange men. Apart from the Christians, two Americans, three Germans and an Australian, none of the others spoke in English so I never really got a chance to communicate with any native women. However, the prison governor, a fearsome-looking man, used to refer to his wife as "the boss".

* If you were to meet your Taliban captors again, what would you tell them?

- I have! I took my daughter Daisy, aged nine, on a holiday to Afghanistan in May and we traveled all over. We walked in to an eating place four hours drive from Kabul and there I saw some Taliban and al-Qaeda people. I recognized three of my captors and was horrified. However, one came over and talked to my translator and asked what I was doing returning to Afghanistan. He asked if I recognized anyone and I said only if they cared to be recognized, otherwise it was none of my business. We were all nervous as he walked away and then he returned some minutes later and said: "We liked what you said about us when you returned to London. Thank you for telling the truth."

I nodded nervously and couldn't wait to leave, but I was later told that my safety is assured if I happen to bump into them again. The person I would really like to sit down and talk to is Mullah Omar, the Taliban's one-eyed spiritual leader who ordered my release on humanitarian grounds. I would want to know why they treated their women so badly.

* What are your views on women's rights in Islam as compared to secular Western society?

- The first thing I scrutinized when I read the Qur'an was property and divorce laws. I was amazed. I thought it could have been written by a Hollywood divorce lawyer! In fact, that's probably from where they got their inspiration. I was also pleased to see that women are equal with regards to education and spirituality, but the Qur'an does acknowledge we have the extra burdens of childbirth, breast-feeding and periods. I like to think we are the deluxe model of the human form since we have so many additional functions!

* How is your family coping with your conversion?

- Initially my family was shocked. You'd think I'd applied to become the grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

* Any message you would like us to deliver to the Muslim World?

- September 11 was the best and worst thing that happened to Islam. I know that the confidence of many brothers and sisters has been shattered, but be proud of who you are and what you stand for. Do not be browbeaten into diluting your beliefs in the hope of ingratiating yourself with those in power. Beware of false prophets, especially those who hang round the gates of power pretending to espouse views on your behalf that they say are in your interest. The Christians have a good saying: "The nearer the pulpit, the bigger the sinner!" The wonderful thing about Islam is you have a direct link with God. You don't need a conduit or a middle person. Peace and love to all.

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)