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The Swallows of Kabul is a 2002 novel by Algerian writer Yasmina Khadra. It was originally written and published in French. Plot. Chapter 1. You meet Atiq Shaukat, a jailer for the Taliban. His wife, Musarrat, is very ill and dying. He is late for work and blames it on his wife's illness. He escorts a prostitute to be stoned to death.
- Michele Levy, Yasmina Khadra, John Cullen
- 2002
Atiq Shaukat is a jailer in Taliban-occupied Kabul, Afghanistan. He oversees a women’s prison. His immediate superior, Qassim Abdul Jabbar, is concerned about Atiq’s well-being, noting that he has been depressed for a while. Atiq oversees the transfer of a woman to her execution for sex work, where she is stoned to death.
Atiq Shaukat. Atiq is the first character we meet in the novel, and his constant discontent and anger sets the tone for the rest of the book. He works as a jailer and so sees the effects of the Taliban regime on a daily basis. He is a supporter of the Taliban but is beginning to second-guess his feelings.
Atiq Shaukat is the protagonist of the novel, though he does not fit the traditional archetype. Atiq is the jailer at a women’s prison in Kabul, and he does not derive satisfaction from his job.
Such is life for Taliban supporter Atiq Shaukat, who works as a jailer at Kabul prison. His wife is sick and dying. He thinks of her as a burden and resents the time he has to spend taking care of her. All he can focus on is the fact that she has made him late for work.
Aug 26, 2002 · Mosheen's dream of becoming a diplomat has been shattered and Zunaira can no longer even appear on the streets of Kabul unveiled. Atiq is a jailer who guards those who have been condemned to death; the darkness of prison and the wretchedness of his job have seeped into his soul.
Feb 1, 2004 · Intersecting their world is Atiq, a prison keeper, a man who has sincerely adopted the Taliban ideology and struggles to keep his faith, and his wife, Musarrat, who once rescued Atiq and is now dying of sickness and despair.
