Taliban’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid in the first-ever press conference since the insurgent group took over Afghanistan, claimed that there would be no discrimination against women and the group was committed to providing them rights based on Islamic laws.
From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban ruled several regions of Afghanistan and imposed strict Islamic Laws. Women were denied working outside their houses and girls were denied attending school. They were required to wear the burqa, and if they wish to move outside they must be accompanied by a male relative.
The US intervention paved way for freedom from Taliban, especially for women, as their lives started spinning towards freedom and social progress. But that is feared to get reverted following the return of the insurgent group.
“The whole city has changed for women nearly overnight. Even walking on the street feels different. Life has stopped.”, a woman journalist in Kabul said after the takeover by Taliban occurred.
The prevailing notion and fear among many in Afghanistan is that the Taliban will bring down the level of freedom women gained after their exit, but the group’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that they will establish an Islamic government and women will be provided their rights as per the law.
Media reports mentioned that Suhail Shaheen, another spokesman for the group, said that the burqa is not the only hijab that could be worn; there are different types of hijab not limited to the burqa. The burqa is a one-piece overgarment covering the full head and body and a see-through mesh panel. Shaheen did not clarify whether other forms of hijab would be acceptable to the Taliban.
Further adding, he said women could get education from primary to higher education — that means university. He said the group had announced this policy at international conferences, the Moscow conference, and the Doha conference. Confirming the same, Shaheen added that thousands of schools in areas captured by the Taliban were still operational.
Former Edu.Minister’s fear :
Not just the ‘women in home’ but ‘women of power’ are also fearful of Taliban’s return.
Former Education Minister of Afghanistan Rangina Hamidi said “(I have) the fear that every mother, every woman has in Afghanistan — I keep telling myself to think that I have not done anything bad and hopefully I would not have to pay the price for joining a government position. But now I might face consequences that I never even dreamt of and I guess that’s the price for trying to make this world a little better, particularly in Afghanistan,” she said while speaking to BBC World.
Malala expresses concerns and fear:
Pakistan-based activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai while speaking with Christiane Amanpour, Chief International Anchor of CNN about the Taliban, pointed out that Talibans of Pakistan, against whom she fought, had emerged from the same ideology of the Talibans of Afghanistan.
“… overall they work on the same ideology of the so-called spreading of Islam, bringing in their own Sharia law, and actually silencing women and using force and violence, and that is exactly what they did in Swat Valley when they came in 2007, and they started imposing restriction on women to go to market, to do jobs… they announced ban on girls’ education”
“ I was 11 years old at that time and I could not go to school. I had to hide my books under my scarf. I could not wear my school uniform because of the fear that if they recognize me as a student, they might attack me, they might throw acid on my face.”
“There were many bomb blasts, firings every night. So those two years were some of the worst years of my life; darkest days of my life. It also displaced so many people in the valley. Hundreds and thousands of people became displaced internally within Pakistan because of the military operations that were required after on; and Pakistan Army then pulled out the Talibans from the Swat Valley but the damage that was caused took years and years to be recovered.”
“The rehabilitation and reconstruction is a long process, and that worries me about Afghanistan as well because Afghanistan has suffered for 4 decades- from one war to another…” “It will take years & years for Afghan people to recover from this.”
Wont’ seek revenge:
In the press conference, Mujahid said that Taliban would not seek revenge from anyone, including the ousted officials of the Afghanistan government, and the country’s security forces.
But there were reports and insights from journos that the group’s soldiers were knocking on the door of people who were in support of the fallen government.
Rangina Hamidi (the former Afghan edu.minister) said they had not reached her door yet. She said she was scared for the safety of her and her family.
“Anything is possible, I am sitting in the hallway in our house where there are not many windows. In terms of our safety, it’s very difficult to predict if we will make it to the morning,” she reportedly saying following the takeover.
The group had announced a “general amnesty” for government officials and urged them to return to work. “Nobody is going to harm you, nobody is going to knock on your doors,” Mujahid said at the press conference. “We do not want any internal or external enemies.”
The Taliban’s spokesperson stated that while the group’s ideologies and beliefs have been the same since the 1990s, this time they are more experienced and have a different perspective.
Reality?
Los Angeles Times’ roving foreign correspondent & photojournalist reported that while Talibans have claimed that they will respect and honor women’s rights, ground reality seems to be different.
“Taliban fighters use gunfire, whips, sticks and sharp objects to maintain crowd control over thousands of Afghans who continue to wait for a way out, on airport road. At least half dozen were wounded while I was there, including a woman and her child”, he tweeted.
