"If you want a haliq"—a boy for sex—"you have to follow the boy for a long time before he will agree," said Daud, smiling at Fareed in a hostel where the two consented to give an interview. "At first he was afraid, so I bought him some chocolate and gave him a lot of money," said Daud, laughing. "I went step by step, and after about six or seven months, he agreed."

The Taliban took care of homosexuality by resorting to an ancient punishment prescribed by the Islamic laws of the Sharia: They pushed a wall on top of anyone found to be homosexual. Odd as the punishment sounds, it resonates with many Afghans who live in a world of mud-and-wattle walls, many of which have long since lost their usefulness. There are plenty of earthen walls 3.6 meters (12 feet) high and 60 centimeters (2 feet) thick waiting to be toppled.