Tag: Taliban. Afghanistan

  • Another earthquake of 6.3 magnitude hits Afghanistan

    As per the United States Geological Survey, yet another earthquake occurred in Afghanistan at a shallow depth at around 5:10 am local time on Wednesday, with its epicenter about 29 kilometres north of the city of Herat.

    No casualties have been reported till now.

    According to the Associated Press, Ministry of Information spokesperson Abdul Wahid Rayan has said that at least 80 people have been injured and a landslide has blocked the main Herat-Torghundi highway.

    This is the second deadliest aftershock in the region after Saturday’s earthquake which destroyed 11 villages and has devastated 12,000 people. The death toll has exceeded 2,400 fatalities. Afghanistan is frequently hit by deadly earthquakes, but this weekend’s disaster was the worst to strike the war-ravaged country in more than 25 years.

    Rescue efforts are being hampered by poor infrastructure and lack of resources.

  • Afghan women protest beauty parlour ban, Taliban hit protestors with tasers

    Afghan women protest beauty parlour ban, Taliban hit protestors with tasers

    In a rare occurrence, Afghan women took to the streets in Kabul to protest another draconian law imposed on the demographic by the ruling Taliban. Earlier this month, the Taliban banned women’s beauty parlours in Afghanistan, another decisive step in slashing women’s rights in the country. 

    Women shouted “work, bread and justice” while they were gathered in the capital city, Kabul. Around 50 women took part in the protest on Wednesday, BBC reports. Security forces dispersed the demonstration by using fire hoses, tasers, and shooting their guns into the air. Some protestors told Al-Jazeera that stun guns were also used against them.

    The Taliban have given beauty parlours one month from the 2nd of July to shut down operations completely, and the order has been sent across the country. According to BBC, they said the wearing of wigs and the practice of eyebrow-plucking were against Islamic values, further stating that beauty parlours are a ‘waste of money’ when couples are getting married. 

    The closure of all beauty salons will lead to the loss of 60,000 jobs, Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce said. 

    Women’s rights and access to public spaces have been systematically struck down since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Afghan women were already barred from attending secondary school and college, from entering gyms or parks, and now they are unable to continue their predominantly female-run beauty parlour businesses.

    The Taliban continue to impose restrictions on women, despite widespread international condemnation. They have prohibited women from working for the United Nations (UN), in spite of the UN having a commission in Kabul.

    There have been minor sporadic protests against measures introduced by the Taliban, but any form of dissent is being crushed, BBC reports.

  • 78 people die in Afghanistan after temperature drops to -34 degrees

    According to a Taliban official, at least 78 individuals have died in Afghanistan’s frigid temperatures during the past nine days.

    According to Shafiullah Rahimi, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Disaster Management, over 77,000 animals have also perished in recent days after temperatures fell to record lows.

    The frigid weather has turned into the country’s coldest winter in 15 years, with temperatures dipping as low as -34 degrees Celsius (-29.2 degrees Fahrenheit), Reuters has reported.

    “The weather will get colder in the next few days, therefore it is necessary to consider humanitarian aid for affected people,” said Abdullah Ahmadi, the head of the operations centre for emergency conditions at the Ministry of Disaster Management has said.

    Health professionals noted a substantial rise in the number of small children with severe pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses even in the early days of winter. Rising poverty that prevents people from adequately heating their homes is partly to blame for the illnesses.

  • Male doctors can’t treat female patients, Taliban announce ban

    Male doctors can’t treat female patients, Taliban announce ban

    The Directorate of Public Affairs and Hearing of Taliban Complaints in the Balkh province, Afghanistan, has announced that male doctors are no longer allowed to treat female patients.

    According to Afghan newspaper Hasht-e-Subah, the Taliban also announced that working rooms for male and female healthcare workers should be seperated, and female patients should reach out to female health workers instead of male ones for their problems.

    It further banned men from walking into the rooms of female patients.

    The Taliban have placed a number of restrictions on women including a ban on education, barring them from attending high school or university in December of last year. In November, 2022, the Taliban had banned women from entering Kabul’s parks or funfairs.

  • ‘If my mother or sister can’t study, then I won’t accept this education’, Afghan professor tears up diploma in protest against ban on women’s education

    ‘If my mother or sister can’t study, then I won’t accept this education’, Afghan professor tears up diploma in protest against ban on women’s education

    A professor from Kabul University tore up his diploma during a live news interview, protesting against the ban on women’s education placed by the Taliban administration.
    “From today I don’t need these diplomas anymore because this country is no place for getting education. If my sister & my mother can’t study, then I DON’T accept this education,” the emotional Professor stated.

    The act of revolt comes after the Taliban placed a ban on female education across the country. The Acting Higher Education Minister Neda Mohammad Nadeem said the ban was a result of women wearing inappropriate clothes and interacting with men.
    “They didn’t observe Hijab; they were coming with the clothes that most women wear to a wedding,” he said.

    The controversial decision has led to a rise of protests all over the country, with video clips emerging on social media, showing men choosing to walk out of university in protest against the ban.

  • Taliban defend ban on female education, say women did not observe Hijab

    Taliban defend ban on female education, say women did not observe Hijab

    The minister of higher education in Afghanistan’s Taliban government has given the reason that compelled their administration to ban female education in the country. Acting Higher Education Minister, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, while talking to an Afghan state broadcaster said, “They didn’t observe Hijab; they were coming with the clothes that most women wear to a wedding.”.

    He said the decision was made due to a number of reasons including female students’ inappropriate Islamic clothing and interactions between students of different genders.
    “Girls were studying agriculture and engineering, but this didn’t match Afghan culture. Girls should learn, but not in areas that go against Islam and Afghan honour.”

    The Taliban on Tuesday (December 20) banned women from universities in Afghanistan. The statement was made by the minister of higher education, who stated that it will go into effect right away.

    “You all are informed to implement the mentioned order of suspending education of females until further notice,” said the letter signed by the minister for higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem. The letter was issued to all government and private universities.
    The decision was condemned across the globe, with U.N.’s mission in Afghanistan asking the Taliban-run administration to “immediately” revoke the ban.

  • Pakistan asks Afghanistan to take strict action against those responsible for Chaman attack

    Pakistan asks Afghanistan to take strict action against those responsible for Chaman attack

    Pakistan has condemned the unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on civilian population by Afghan border forces in Chaman, in which six Pakistani nationals were killed and seventeen others wounded.

    In a press release, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that such unfortunate incidents are not in keeping with the brotherly ties between the two countries.

    She said that the Afghan authorities have been informed that recurrence of such incidents must be avoided and strictest possible action must be taken against those responsible.

    The spokesperson stated that both sides are accountable for safeguarding residents at the borders.

    She noted that in order to prevent a further escalation of the situation and a repetition of similar situations, the relevant authorities from both nations continue to be in communication.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also condemned the attack.

    “Unprovoked shelling & fire by Afghan Border Forces at Chaman resulting in martyrdom of several Pakistani citizens & injuring more than a dozen is unfortunate & deserves the strongest condemnation. The Afghan Interim government should ensure that such incidents are not repeated,” wrote the PM in a tweet.

  • ‘Anyone who understood Afghanistan’s history would never have done what Americans did’: PM Khan

    ‘Anyone who understood Afghanistan’s history would never have done what Americans did’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has spoken about the invasion in Afghanistan by the United States (US) for the “war on terror”, which continued for 20 years, terming it as a failure.

    In an interview with the Director of the Advisory Committee of China Institute of Fudan University Dr Eric Li, PM Khan said, “Anyone who understood the history of Afghanistan would never have done what the Americans did.” He argued that after the killing of former Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, American forces didn’t know what they were doing there.

    “They [Americans] were never clear on what they were trying to achieve in Afghanistan. Was it nation-building; was it democracy; was it liberating the Afghan women? They had no clear aims,” the premier posed several questions during his interview.

    Since the ousting of the Ashraf Ghani-led government, the prime minister has been supporting to unfreeze the Taliban-run country’s assets.

    He said joining the “war on terror” and the corruption of the past rulers badly affected Pakistan. Furthermore, he highlighted that the country lost about 80,000 people and over $100 billion in the war.

    Talking about the recent treatment of Indian Muslims in India, the prime minister criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for marginalisation of minorities, including Muslims, and termed it a “tragedy” for the Indian nation.

  • No transport for women travelling without hijab, male relative: Taliban

    Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership has announced that women who seek to travel long distances should not be offered transport if they are not wearing hijab and are not accompanied by a close male relative, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

    The guidance was issued on Sunday by the country’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The ministry spokesman Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP: “Women travelling for more than 72 kilometers (km) should not be offered a ride if they are not accompanied by a close family member.”

    Previously, the government had also called on women TV journalists to wear hijabs while presenting. They also directed people to stop playing music in their vehicles.

    Taliban also banned women from acting in dramas due to which they received immense backlash.

    Since August, the Taliban have been imposing severe restrictions for women in the country despite promising the fulfillment of their rights.

    However, activists hope that the Taliban’s battle to gain international recognition and get aid flowing back into Afghanistan will lead to them making concessions to women.

  • Afghan women make up half of BBC’s 100 women list for 2021

    The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has listed its 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2021.

    This year’s theme – ‘women who are hitting “reset”, playing their part to reinvent our world after the global pandemic has forced so many of us to reassess the way we live.’

    This list is devoted to half of the women from one country – Afghanistan. As recent episodes in the country have made headlines and left millions of Afghans questioning their future, rights groups have spoken up in fear that women freedom could be eroded for the foreseeable future under the Taliban.

    From women who work for girls’ education in Afghanistan to the women who portrayed Afghan women in the movies. The list includes:

    Some of the Afghan women on the list are anonymous.

    From women who work for girls’ education in Afghanistan to the women who portrayed Afghan women in the movies. The list includes:

    Pashtana Durrani- a teacher dedicated to innovation in education with a focus on girls’ rights. She has established schools in Kandahar.

    Razia Barakzai- since the Taliban she has been actively involved in marches in Kabul.

    Leena Alam- is renowned for her appearances in feminist television shows in Afghanistan.

    Sahar Fetrat- feminist activist Sahar Fetrat was a young refugee.

    Basira Paigham- working for LGBTQ+ rights in Afghanistan.

    Roya Sadat- first female director to emerge from the Taliban era in Afghanistan.