Taliban Archives - Read Selective

‘Women must accept it’s a man’s world’: Taliban education minister promotes gender inequality

Taliban education minister Neda Mohammad Nadim Photograph:(Twitter)

Taliban’s acting minister of higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadim, has expressed concerning views during an address at Baghlan University, raising fears of women’s rights being further breached. Nadim claimed that there are ongoing efforts to dismantle the existing system, ostensibly due to concerns related to women’s issues. The minister said that according to Sharia and Allah’s decrees, men and women are not considered equals.

He argued that, despite Western nations’ efforts to promote gender equality, men and women are fundamentally unequal in the eyes of Allah.

According to his beliefs, men hold a dominant position, possessing authority that must be unquestionably obeyed, while women are expected to accept this subordination.

“The Almighty Allah has distinguished between men and women. A male is the ruler, he has the authority, he must be obeyed, and the woman must accept his world. A woman is not equal to a man; however, they [Western nations] have placed her above a man,” Nadim stated.

Challenges in educational system
During his address at Baghlan University, some professors and students raised concerns about the educational environment in universities, including the lack of resources and facilities.

Sayed Sati, a lecturer at Baghlan University, spoke of the need for proper equipment and facilities to promote scientific research and growth in universities.

“The lack of regular transportation for students is the first issue. It should be taken care of because the distance between the city and the institution is great. The second issue is the lack of a dorm, which students have experienced for years,” said Student Yama Barna.

A controversial figure
Nadim, a former governor and military commander, has made a solemn commitment to eradicate the modern secular education that gained prominence in Afghanistan following the US-led invasion in 2001, which led to the downfall of the Taliban’s initial regime.

He has also expressed strong opposition to the education of girls and women, deeming it inconsistent with Islamic principles and Afghan cultural values.

His remarks have often ignited controversy and raised concerns that the Taliban may intensify restrictions on female education.

Source: https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/woman-must-accept-mans-world-taliban-edu-minister-promotes-gender-inequality-641463

Russia-led forum urges Taliban to eliminate all terrorist groups

The forum also stressed their concern at the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women’s employment and girls’ education and urged the group to promote modern education in schools

The Moscow Format was established in 2017 to promote national reconciliation in Afghanistan. (ANI)

Members of a Russia-led forum on Afghanistan, including India, have urged the Taliban setup in Kabul to eliminate terrorist groups active on Afghan soil and to prevent the country being a “terrorism and instability hotspot”.

The Kazan Declaration, issued at the conclusion of the Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan on Friday, pointed out that the Taliban regime has made no progress in forming a “truly inclusive government” that reflects the interests of all ethno-political groups of the country.

India was represented at the talks held in the Russian city of Kazan by the country’s ambassador in Moscow, Pavan Kapoor. The Moscow Format was established in 2017 to promote national reconciliation in Afghanistan and other members of the forum are Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The Kazan Declaration said the forum had called on the Taliban setup to “take effective measures to dismantle, eliminate and prevent placement of all sorts of terrorist groups based in Afghanistan and to prevent the country from being the terrorism and instability hotspot and spreading to the regional states”.

The declaration regretted that “there had been no progress in forming a truly inclusive government in Afghanistan, reflecting the interests of all ethno-political groups”. It said: “Despite the appointment of some individual representatives of various Afghan ethnicities to the Kabul administration, the parties observed no political pluralism in it.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/russialed-forum-urges-taliban-to-eliminate-all-terrorist-groups-101696088816922.html

China Becomes First Country to Name New Ambassador for Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan

China has officially become the first country to name a new ambassador to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The new envoy, Zhao Xing, presented his credentials at a ceremony in the capital.

China has officially become the first country to name a new ambassador to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The new envoy, Zhao Xing, presented his credentials at a ceremony in the capital. This move from China comes two years after the Taliban took over.

The majority of countries across the globe have still not recognised the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. However, it remains unclear if Beijing sending an ambassador means they are legitimising the extremist rule.

As per a Reuters report, the Chinese foreign ministry has stated that this is “a normal rotation of China’s ambassador to Afghanistan.”

“This is intended to continue advancing dialogue and cooperation between China and Afghanistan. China’s policy towards Afghanistan is clear and consistent,” the foreign ministry added further.

Speaking to Reuters, Taliban officials from the Afghan foreign ministry have stated that China is the first country to send an ambassador since August 2021. On August 15, 2021, the Taliban overthrew the government and took control of the country. After their takeover, US-led forces withdrew from the country after 20 years.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world/china-becomes-first-country-to-name-new-ambassador-for-taliban-ruled-afghanistan-article-103647608

Afghanistan: Taliban ban women from visiting popular national park

Band-e-Amir, seen here in May this year, was Afghanistan’s first national park

The Taliban government have banned women from visiting the Band-e-Amir national park in Bamiyan province.

Afghanistan’s acting minister of virtue and vice, Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, said women had not been observing hijab inside the park.

He called on religious clerics and security agencies to forbid women from entering until a solution was found.

Band-e-Amir is a significant tourist attraction, becoming Afghanistan’s first national park in 2009.

It is a popular destination for families and the ban on women attending will prevent many from being able to enjoy the park.

Unesco describes the park as a “naturally created group of lakes with special geological formations and structure, as well as natural and unique beauty”.

However, Mr Hanafi said going to the park to sightsee “was not obligatory”, Afghan agency Tolo News reported.

Religious clerics in Bamiyan said the women who were visiting the park and not following the rules were visitors to the area.

“There are complaints about lack of hijab or bad hijab, these are not Bamiyan residents. They come here from other places,” Sayed Nasrullah Waezi, head of the Bamiyan Shia Ulema Council told Tolo news.

Afghan former MP Mariam Solaimankhil shared a poem she had written on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the ban and wrote “we’ll return, I’m sure of it”.

Fereshta Abbasi, of Human Rights Watch, noted women had been banned from visiting the park on Women’s Equality Day and wrote it was a “total disrespect to the women of Afghanistan”.

Band-e-Amir, seen here last year, was popular with female visitors, who have been banned from most education and work

Meanwhile Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, asked why stopping women from visiting Band-e-Amir “is necessary to comply with Sharia and Afghan culture?”.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66633178

Taliban says women lose value if men can see their faces in public: ‘should be hidden’

The Taliban has taken control over Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US force in August 2021

The Taliban believe that women lose their “value” if men can see their uncovered faces in public, a view shared by Afghan religious scholars.

Molvi Mohammad Sadiq Akif, the spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue, told The Associated Press Thursday that there is the possibility of “fitna,” or falling into sin, if women’s faces are visible in public.

“It is very bad to see women (without the hijab) in some areas (big cities), and our scholars also agree that women’s faces should be hidden,” Akif said. “It’s not that her face will be harmed or damaged. A woman has her own value and that value decreases by men looking at her. Allah gives respect to females in hijab and there is value in this.”

Molvi Mohammad Sadiq Akif, the spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue, speaks during an interview in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)

Akif’s comments come two years after the Taliban took over Afghanistan following 20 years of U.S. occupation.

The radical Islamist group quickly re-imposed harsh restrictions on women’s dress and barred them from attending school – provoking global outrage, even from some Muslim-majority countries.

On Wednesday, U.N. special envoy Gordon Brown said the International Criminal Court should prosecute Taliban leaders for crimes against humanity for denying education and employment to Afghan girls and women.

Akif, meanwhile, claimed that the imposition of Sharia (Islamic law) has been welcomed by Afghans and that men no longer harass or stare at women like they used to do in the time of the previous government. He said the ministry relies on a network of officials and informants to check if people are following regulations.

“Our ombudsmen walk in markets, public places, universities, schools, madrasas and mosques,” he said. “They visit all these places and watch people. They also speak with them and educate them. We monitor them and people also cooperate with and inform us.”

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/taliban-says-women-lose-value-men-can-see-their-faces-public

Taliban celebrate return to power 2 years on amid erosion of Afghan women’s rights

It’s been two years since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. Afghanistan is enjoying peace not seen in decades but the UN says there have been dozens of attacks on civilians, some claimed by Islamic State rivals of the Taliban.

Taliban members rejoice on the second anniversary of the fall of Ashraf Ghani government near the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan (Reuters)

Afghanistan’s Taliban marked the second anniversary of their return to power on Tuesday, celebrating their takeover of Kabul and the establishment of what they said was security throughout the country under an Islamic system.

After a lightning offensive as US-led foreign forces were withdrawing after 20 years of inconclusive war, the Taliban entered the capital on Aug. 15, 2021, as the Afghan security forces, set up with years of Western support, disintegrated and US-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled.

“On the second anniversary of the conquest of Kabul, we would like to congratulate the mujahid (holy warrior) nation of Afghanistan and ask them to thank Almighty Allah for this great victory,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.

Afghanistan is enjoying peace not seen in decades but the UN says there have been dozens of attacks on civilians, some claimed by Islamic State rivals of the Taliban.

For many women, who enjoyed extensive rights and freedoms during the two decades of rule by Western-backed governments, their plight has become dire since the return of the Taliban.

“It’s been two years since the Taliban took over in Afghanistan. Two years that upturned the lives of Afghan women and girls, their rights and futures,” Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the UN, said in a statement.

Security was tight in the capital on Tuesday, which was declared a holiday. Taliban fighters, supporters and some Kabul residents gathered on streets and vehicles drove slowly in informal parades carrying soldiers and children waving black and white flags.

“Today I’ve come here to see the commemoration of the second anniversary of the Taliban. It was the day that the enemy of Afghanistan was expelled from our country, that’s why I came here to celebrate,” said resident Sayed Hashmatullah Sadat.

Several departments, including the education ministry, also held gatherings to celebrate.

“Now that overall security is ensured in the country, the entire territory of the country is managed under a single leadership, an Islamic system is in place and everything is explained from the angle of sharia,” Mujahid, the spokesman, said.

In a Kabul tailoring workshop, 27-year-old Maryam, who set up the business after losing a job first in an international project, and then as a teacher, said she dreaded the anniversary.

“The day … reminds me of two years ago and I have the same feeling I had two years ago, which was a really terrible feeling,” she said.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/taliban-celebrate-return-to-power-two-years-on-amid-erosion-of-afghan-womens-rights-2421681-2023-08-16

Afghanistan: Taliban burn ‘immoral’ musical instruments

The Taliban has taken aim at instruments after beauty salons

The Taliban have burned musical instruments in Afghanistan, claiming music “causes moral corruption”.

Thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment went up in smoke on a bonfire on Saturday in western Herat province.

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions, including on playing music in public.

Ahmad Sarmast, Afghanistan National Institute of Music founder, likened their actions to “cultural genocide and musical vandalism”.

“The people of Afghanistan have been denied artistic freedom… The burning of musical instruments in Herat is just a small example of the cultural genocide that is taking place in Afghanistan under the leadership of the Taliban,” Dr Sarmast, who is now based in Portugal, told the BBC.

Afghan music school falls silent under Taliban rule

Some of the items set ablaze in Herat included a guitar, a harmonium and a tabla – a kind of drum – as well as amplifiers and speakers, according to images online. Many of these had been seized from wedding venues in the city.

An official at the Taliban’s Vice and Virtue Ministry said playing music would “cause the youth to go astray”.

A similar bonfire of instruments was organised by the Taliban on 19 July. Its government posted photos of the blaze on Twitter at the time but did not say which part of the country it had taken place in.

All forms of music were banned from social gatherings, TV, and radio while the Taliban were in power in Afghanistan from the mid-90s until 2001.

A music scene flourished in the two decades that followed, but the Taliban’s return in August 2021 prompted many musicians to flee the country. Singers and musicians still in the country are reported to have been subjected to beatings and discrimination.

In the past two years, the Taliban have imposed other severe restrictions under their strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Women have borne the brunt of these harsh measures. The Taliban have decreed they should be dressed in a way that only reveals their eyes, and must be accompanied by a male relative if they are travelling more than 72km (45 miles).

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66357611

Taliban kill Islamic State leader who masterminded Kabul airport bombing that left 13 US service members dead

The blast outside the airport in 2021 took place as thousands of Afghans tried to board crowded flights to flee the country during the chaotic US-led withdrawal.

US marines at Abbey Gate before the bombing in Kabul on 26 August 2021. Pic: Department of Defense via AP

The Tailban have killed an Islamic State group leader who masterminded the Kabul airport suicide bombing that left 13 US service members dead.

The US military informed the families of the 11 marines, the sailor and the soldier killed in the blast during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

About 170 Afghans were also killed in the bombing outside Hamid Karzai International Airport on 26 August 2021.

Family members of the US personnel shared the information in a private messaging chat group, according to one marine’s mother.

The account from the families was confirmed by US officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

The IS leader, whose identity has not yet been released, was killed in southern Afghanistan in early April.

The Taliban were conducting a series of operations against the Islamic State group, according to one of the officials.

At the time, the Taliban were not aware of the identity of the person they killed, the official added.

Coffin with the remains of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover is carried at Dover Air Force Based in Delaware. Pic: AP

‘It’s not going to bring Taylor back’

The attack at Abbey Gate took place as thousands of Afghans tried to board crowded flights to flee the country after the Taliban’s takeover.

At the time, the UK, the US and other nations were carrying out the evacuation of thousands of citizens.

Darin Hoover, the father of staff sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover who died in the attack, said the killing of the unidentified Islamic State group leader does nothing to help them.

He said: “Whatever happens, it’s not going to bring Taylor back and I understand that.

“About the only thing his mom and I can do now is be an advocate for him. All we want is the truth. And we’re not getting it. That’s the frustrating part.”

His son was among service members who were screening thousands of Afghans trying to board one of the flights out of the country.

Mr Hoover said he and his son’s mother, Kelly Henson, have spent the past year and a half grieving the death of the 31-year-old and praying for accountability from Joe Biden’s administration for the handling of the withdrawal.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/taliban-kill-islamic-state-leader-who-masterminded-kabul-airport-bombing-that-left-13-us-service-members-dead-12866492