Islamist terror haunts Afghan women under Taliban regime
Despite the assurance that women rights would be kept in Afghanistan, Taliban failed to win the confidence of the women in the country as they are still feel haunted under its regime.
Citing Beheshta Arghand’s example, who made world headlines becoming the first Afghan woman to interview a Taliban spokesperson live on television, the International Forum For Right And Security (IFFRAS) stated that the anchor was forced to flee the country within a week, imagine the plight of ordinary women in the towns and villages of the war-torn country.
In its report, IFFRAS said that the Taliban that the world sees at press conferences and tv studios is not the real Taliban. It is the mask of civility it wears for acceptability. Away from the glare of the cameras, the mask slips, revealing the truly wild face that has not changed since they were last in power during 1996-2001.
According to the Canada-based think tank, the worst manifestation of Islamist terrorism is how they treat their women and the Taliban are no different, or worse than the myriad “terrorist groups” that are spread across the country. When the Taliban spokesperson told Arghand on August 17 that women will be allowed to do everything as permitted by Islamic law, he was telling only clarifying that the dark days of two decades ago are about to return, the think tank said.
After the Taliban spokesperson left the Tolo news channel’s studio, the Taliban’s moderate facade fell. “The Taliban ordered Tolo news to make all women wear a hijab, a scarf closely covering their heads but leaving the face uncovered. The Taliban also suspended female anchors in other stations,” IFFRAS citing The Guardian reported.
Since then, things have worsened for women. In Kandahar, the Taliban heartland, women anchors and presenters were banned from television and radio. In other cities as well, women are being forced to stop going to universities. Girls’ schools are shut and in some co-educational schools and colleges, which are allowing girls for the time being, boys and girls are seated separately, a curtain dividing them.
It further reported that girl students should be taught only by women teachers. The only exception are “old men” of good character. The Taliban will decide what good character is. In private Afghan universities, women students should wear an “abaya” robe and the “niqab”. All this and more is in a guidelines document the
Taliban clerics have already issued to the educational institutions.
Source: ANI News
