▁They ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁work ▁and ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁school . ▁In ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁known ▁instances , ▁Mass oud ▁personally ▁interven ed ▁against ▁cases ▁of ▁forced ▁marriage . ▁To ▁Mass oud ▁there ▁was ▁reported ly ▁nothing ▁worse ▁than ▁tre ating ▁a ▁person ▁like ▁an ▁object . ▁He ▁stated : ▁ ▁Author ▁Pe pe ▁Esc obar ▁wrote ▁in ▁Mass oud : ▁From ▁War rior ▁to ▁States man : ▁ ▁While ▁it ▁was ▁Mass oud ' s ▁stated ▁conv iction ▁that ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁are ▁equal ▁and ▁should ▁enjoy ▁the ▁same ▁rights , ▁he ▁also ▁had ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁Afghan ▁trad itions ▁which ▁he ▁said ▁would ▁need ▁a ▁generation ▁or ▁more ▁to ▁overcome . ▁In ▁his ▁opinion ▁that ▁could ▁only ▁be ▁achieved ▁through ▁education . ▁Hum ay un ▁T and ar , ▁who ▁took ▁part ▁as ▁an ▁Afghan ▁diplom at ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁International ▁Conference ▁on ▁Afghan istan ▁in ▁Bonn , ▁said ▁that ▁" str ictures ▁of ▁language , ▁eth nic ity , ▁region ▁were ▁[ also ] ▁st if ling ▁for ▁Mass oud . ▁That ▁is ▁why ▁... ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁unity ▁which ▁could ▁sur pass ▁the ▁situation ▁in ▁which ▁we ▁found ▁ourselves ▁and ▁still ▁find ▁ourselves ▁to ▁this ▁day ." ▁This ▁applied ▁also ▁to ▁strict ures ▁of ▁religion . ▁Jean - J os é ▁Pu ig ▁describes ▁how ▁Mass oud ▁often ▁led ▁pray ers ▁before ▁a ▁me al ▁or ▁at ▁times ▁asked ▁his ▁fellow ▁Muslim s ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁prayer ▁but ▁also ▁did ▁not ▁hes itate