Afghan women activists said on Sunday that the Taliban remain leaders.illegaldespite thousands of religious leaders endorsing their fundamentalist Islamist regime.
About 3,500 religious figures from across Afghanistan pledged allegiance to the Taliban and their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada on Saturday after three days of meetings in the capital, Kabul.
Hard issues like the right of teenage girls to go to school were never discussed during this Taliban-convened rally.
Since then, the Taliban have wanted to portray the event as a vote of confidence in their concept of sharia, a state fully governed by Islamic law.
When asked about the absence of women at the meetings, the Taliban explained that their presence is not necessary, as they will be represented by their male relatives.
“Statements made at rallies or events without the presence of half the country’s population or pledging allegiance to the Taliban are unacceptable.Hoda Khamosh, an exiled human rights activist in Norway, told France Presse.
“This gathering (…) has no legitimacy, value, has not received the approval of the people“, he added.
Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have largely returned to the ultra-strict interpretation of Islam that marked their first period in power (1996-2001), severely restricting women’s rights.
Non-religious music is prohibited
They almost completely barred them from government jobs, restricted their right to travel, and barred girls from attending secondary schools. Women were forced to wear full veils covering their faces for any outing in public.
They also banned non-religious music, the use of human faces in advertisements, the airing of films or TV series featuring topless women, and asked men to wear traditional clothing and allow their heads to be shaved.
In Kabul, women’s groups also challenged the representativeness of religious leaders. “Religious leaders represent only a part of society, they are not the whole society“Ainoor Uzbik, a member of this collective, commented to AFP.
“The decisions they made serve only their interests, it was not beneficial for the country and the people. There was nothing for women in either the program or the (final) press releaseHe added after the press conference.
The collective said in a statement that men like the Taliban had previously held absolute power in history, but only for a short time before being pushed out.
Ainuar for Uzbek “The only thing Afghans can do is raise their voices and demand the international community to put pressure on the Taliban.“.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.