The following is an abridged version of an article that appears in the Aug. 9, 2010, print and iPad editions of TIME magazine.

The following is an abridged version of an article that appears in the Aug. 9, 2010, print and iPad editions of TIME magazine.

The Taliban pounded on the door just before midnight, demanding that Aisha, 18, be punished for running away from her husband's house. Her in-laws treated her like a slave, Aisha pleaded. They beat her. If she hadn't run away, she would have died. Her judge, a local Taliban commander, was unmoved. Aisha's brother-in-law held her down while her husband pulled out a knife. First he sliced off her ears. Then he started on her nose.