Aziz Deldar Seriously Injured in Attack During Discussion on Girls’ Right to Education in US
Afghan filmmaker Roya Sadat has confirmed that her husband, Aziz Deldar, a filmmaker and former lecturer at Kabul University, was physically attacked and seriously injured during a discussion about girls’ right to education in the US state of Virginia.
In a Facebook post on Thursday (29 October), Sadat said the incident occurred on Saturday (24 October), in front of her and their children.
She wrote: “My husband, Professor Aziz Deldar, was physically attacked and seriously injured during a discussion about girls’ right to education, in front of me and our children.”
According to Sadat, the incident was a painful and shocking experience for her family. She said her children and her mother, who suffers from heart disease, are still struggling with the psychological effects of the attack.
Sadat said those responsible for the attack are in custody and legal proceedings in the case are ongoing.
Earlier reports, citing preliminary information attributed to Virginia police, said four people had been arrested in connection with the incident.
Roya Sadat described the incident as more than a personal act of violence and expressed concern about the consequences of supporting the Taliban and efforts to justify and normalise the group’s restrictions on women and girls outside Afghanistan.
She called on host countries to take action against such acts through legal measures.
Aziz Deldar taught filmmaking, screenwriting and visual storytelling at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Kabul University for more than 15 years before the Taliban returned to power. He moved to the United States following the developments of August 2021.
Roya Sadat is also a prominent Afghan filmmaker whose work addresses social issues, particularly the rights of women and girls.
The attack comes as the Taliban have banned girls from education beyond the sixth grade and women from attending universities since returning to power in Afghanistan.
