Zan News: Local Taliban officials in Badakhshan have reported that three children lost their lives due to extreme cold and heavy snowfall in the Raghistan district of the province. Social Media Three Children Die Due to Severe Cold in Badakhshan November 30, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Local Taliban officials in Badakhshan have reported that three children lost their lives due to extreme cold and heavy snowfall in the Raghistan district of the province. Hekmatullah Mohammadi, the Taliban's Information Director at the Badakhshan Directorate of Information and Culture, stated that the incident occurred around 5:00 PM on Friday (November 29) in the Nowabad Siyab village of Raghistan district. According to Mohammadi, the children were on their way to the village of Kalar in Raghistan when they died to heavy snowfall and intense cold. He added that the children were between 9 and 12 years old. This incident occurs as many parts of Afghanistan have recently experienced heavy rains, snowfall, and storms.

Zan News: In response to the shooting of 14 Hazara residents in Daikundi province, the Hope Window Women’s Movement staged a protest by writing slogan on wall. Hope Window Women’s Movement: The Taliban Mislead Global Opinion with False “Security” Slogans September 14, 2024 Zan News Zan News: In response to the shooting of 14 Hazara residents in Daikundi province, the Hope Window Women’s Movement staged a protest by writing slogan on wall. On Friday (14 September), the movement published a statement condemning the incident and calling for the recognition of the Hazara genocide as a crime against humanity. The statement read: “In a tragic terrorist incident on the border between Daikundi and Ghor provinces, armed individuals stopped a vehicle carrying residents of Qariodal village in Sangtakht and Bandar district of Daikundi province and shot 20 defenseless Shia and Hazara individuals. In this attack, 14 people were martyred and 6 others were injured.” The Hope Window Women’s Movement emphasized that this is not the first or last time Hazaras have been subjected to genocide. Hazaras are targeted for their ethnicity and religion in mosques, schools, sports arenas, cities, villages, and during their religious ceremonies, and they have no “peace and security” anywhere in the country. The movement added that with the Taliban’s control, the activities of more than “twenty terrorist groups” have expanded. The Taliban, who themselves support “terrorists and terrorism,” not only fail to provide security for the people but also mislead global opinion with false “security” slogans. The Hope Window Women’s Movement called on the United Nations, human rights organizations, and countries around the world not to overlook the crimes against Hazaras and to recognize the Hazara genocide. It is worth mentioning that the ISIS group claimed responsibility for this terrorist attack, and the Taliban condemned it. This attack took place on Thursday (12 September) in the Qariodal pass area on the border between Ghor and Daikundi provinces.

Zan News: The "Purple Saturdays" movement has issued a call titled "Celebrate Eid with Flood Victims," urging all Afghan citizens inside and outside the country, national traders, pilgrims, and wealthy individuals to transform Eid al-Adha, a symbol of solidarity and sacrifice, into an opportunity to support and assist those in need. Celebrate Eid with Flood Victims: The Purple Saturdays Movement's Call for Aid to Afghanistan's Flood Victims June 15, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The "Purple Saturdays" movement has issued a call titled "Celebrate Eid with Flood Victims," urging all Afghan citizens inside and outside the country, national traders, pilgrims, and wealthy individuals to transform Eid al-Adha, a symbol of solidarity and sacrifice, into an opportunity to support and assist those in need. According to this call, which was released on Saturday (June 15), recent devastating floods in the provinces of Badakhshan, Ghor, Sar-e-Pul, Takhar, Baghlan, Faryab, Kunduz, Jowzjan, and other areas of Afghanistan have severely affected hundreds of citizens, especially women and children, leaving them in dire and deplorable conditions. The "Purple Saturdays" movement emphasized that despite the Taliban's claims of significantly increased revenues for their "self-proclaimed government" over the past three years, the group has failed to provide services and even basic aid to flood victims. The movement added, "The Taliban are more of a suppressive group than a legitimate and accountable government, and they do not show the same urgency and commitment to providing services and aid as they do in suppressing the Afghan people." The movement has called on all Afghan citizens to allocate the costs of Eid sacrifices to provide temporary shelters, drinking water, food, clothing, and medical aid for the flood victims in the northern provinces. They have also urged donors not to trust the Taliban and to provide direct assistance to the flood victims, especially women and children. This call has been issued by the campaign team in support and solidarity with the flood victims in Afghanistan.

Zan News: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that since the beginning of this year until September, the organization has provided job opportunities for 2,482 individuals in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Photo: BBC IOM Creates Jobs for Over Two Thousand Afghans in the Past Nine Months October 28, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that since the beginning of this year until September, the organization has provided job opportunities for 2,482 individuals in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. In a statement released on its Facebook page on Monday (October 29), the organization noted that during this period, it has also supported the employment of 2,067 other individuals. Additionally, 2,226 others have registered for internships facilitated by the organization. According to this statement, in the past nine months, the international organization has supported the businesses of 237 Afghans by providing tools, which includes 128 men and the rest women. It is worth mentioning that following the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, the group has barred women from working in all sectors except health and has dismissed many male employees from the former regime from government offices under various pretexts over the past three years.

Zan News: Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban's Minister of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, recently stated that it is forbidden for adult women to hear the voice of other adult women. Photo: Tolonews Taliban Minister: Hearing the Voice of an Adult Woman is Forbidden for Other Adult Woman October 27, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban's Minister of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, recently stated that it is forbidden for adult women to hear the voice of other adult women. Yesterday, Saturday (26 October), the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice released an audio file of Hanafi's statements. In it, he clarified that an adult woman is not even allowed to say "Alhamdulillah" or "Subhanallah" to another adult woman during prayer, let alone sing. Emphasizing this, he said, "When women are not allowed to give the call to prayer (Takbir and Adhan), they cannot sing or perform music." Hanafi also mentioned the gradual enforcement of the ministry's laws and, in response to international criticism of restrictions on women, particularly the ban on singing, stated that the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has focused its reports on the ministry’s activities. He added that the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue "put veils on our sisters to protect their honor, but foreigners unchaste and dishonorable our sisters. This is why a six-point decree specifically concerning women has been issued." It is noteworthy that the Taliban's Promotion of Virtue law, published on 20 August this year, considers all parts of a woman’s body, face, and voice as "awrah" (private parts) that must be concealed. The law also prohibits women from traveling without a male guardian and mandates full covering. These restrictions have drawn widespread domestic and international criticism, but the Taliban have shown no flexibility in their stance so far.

Zan News: Local sources in Badghis province have reported the shooting death of a 13-year-old child in Qadis district. Social Media Murder of a 13-Year-Old Child in Badghis February 6, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Local sources in Badghis province have reported the shooting death of a 13-year-old child in Qadis district. According to the sources, the incident took place on Tuesday night (February 4) in the village of "Gonbad Shah Ghiyasuddin" in Qadis district. The motive behind the child's murder remains unknown, and the perpetrators have not yet been identified. Local Taliban officials in Badghis have also not commented on the incident so far. This comes as cases of murder have significantly increased across various parts of the country since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan.

Zan News: Recent research from the "War Project" affiliated with the Brown University International Affairs Institute reveals that one in four U.S. female soldiers in Afghanistan has experienced "sexual assault." Photo: Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes Findings of a Research : One in Four U.S. Female Soldiers in Afghanistan Experienced Sexual Assault August 15, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Recent research from the "War Project" affiliated with the Brown University International Affairs Institute reveals that one in four U.S. female soldiers in Afghanistan has experienced "sexual assault." The research, published in the War Costs Journal on Wednesday (August 14), emphasizes that 1.9% of U.S. male soldiers also encountered such experiences in Afghanistan. The research indicates that "these soldiers were subjected to sexual assault during their service between 2001 and 2021 in Afghanistan, with Black women and sexual minorities among U.S. military personnel facing higher rates of sexual violence." According to Brown University’s findings, the number of "sexual assault" cases in the U.S. military reached approximately 150,000 in 2021 and 2023. In contrast, the U.S. Department of Defense previously reported 35,900 cases in 2021 and 29,000 cases in 2023. Unlike the Department of Defense’s statistics, Brown University’s research cites 75,569 cases in 2021 and 73,695 cases in 2023. Jennifer Greenberg, the report’s author, stated that "the focus on troop readiness in post-September 11 wars, rather than other issues, has led to an increase in problems of sexual assault, domestic violence, and gender inequalities in military institutions." The U.S. Department of Defense has called this situation "unacceptable" and stated that continuous efforts will be made to provide a safe environment and prevent sexual assault while holding perpetrators accountable. This is despite the fact that there have been reports of "sexual assault" among the American military before.

Zan News: The Purple Saturdays Movement, on the occasion of Yalda Night, has called on the people of Afghanistan to honor this ancient tradition and deliver a message of resistance and protest against the Taliban to the world. Sent to Zan TV Purple Saturdays Movement: Yalda Night as an Opportunity to Send a Message of Resistance and Protest Against the Taliban December 18, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Purple Saturdays Movement, on the occasion of Yalda Night, has called on the people of Afghanistan to honor this ancient tradition and deliver a message of resistance and protest against the Taliban to the world. In its latest statement, published on Wednesday (December 18), the movement invited all cultural figures, artists, poets, writers, social activists, women's protest movements, and other Afghan citizens to organize cultural and creative programs to amplify their message of resistance and protest against the Taliban. The statement described the Taliban as a "anti-cultural and anti-civilization " group that, through repression and the instrumentalization of religion, seeks to destroy Afghanistan's cultural and identity foundations. It emphasized that Yalda Night, as an ancient tradition symbolizing the victory of light over darkness and wisdom over ignorance, can be a clear message of hope and resistance for the people of Afghanistan against the Taliban. The statement further declared: "The self-proclaimed Taliban regime, as an embodiment of tyranny and an architecture of oppression, is as fleeting as the darkest night." The Purple Saturdays Movement called on the people of Afghanistan to demonstrate, through Yalda programs and celebrations, that the nation, especially its women, believes in the end of the current dark days and carries hope within despair. The statement concluded by emphasizing that Yalda Night can serve as an opportunity to send a unified message of collective resistance against the Taliban and their tyranny to the global community. It also urged the international community to support the people of Afghanistan, especially women, vulnerable ethnic groups, and religious minorities.

Zan News: Mawlawi Muqtada, the Taliban prison chief in Nangarhar province, has been dismissed from his position after marrying a female prisoner against her will. Social Media Dismissal of Taliban Prison Chief in Nangarhar Following Forced Marriage to a Female Prisoner November 24, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Mawlawi Muqtada, the Taliban prison chief in Nangarhar province, has been dismissed from his position after marrying a female prisoner against her will. Sources confirmed to the media on Saturday (November 23) that Mawlawi Muqtada was removed from his post two days ago, and Mawlawi Saeed, the prison chief of Paktia province, has been appointed as his successor and the new head of Nangarhar prison. The Taliban have not yet commented on the matter. Earlier reports indicated that Mawlawi Muqtada had arrested a runaway couple—a girl and a boy—from Pakistan in Nangarhar and subsequently forced the girl into marriage. It is worth noting that this is not the first instance of forced marriages by the Taliban. Last year, in the Chah Ab district of Takhar province, the Taliban also forcibly married a girl.

Zan News: An alliance of organizations supporting journalists, civil society activists, and human rights defenders held a protest rally demanding an end to the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran. Afghan Activists in Iran Demand Halt to Forced Deportation of Refugees From the Country January 12, 2025 Zan News Zan News: An alliance of organizations supporting journalists, civil society activists, and human rights defenders held a protest rally demanding an end to the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran. The protest, held on Saturday (January 11), called on the Iranian government to stop the forced expulsion of individuals who are at risk. The protesters emphasized that, given the current situation in Afghanistan, necessary cooperation with Afghan migrants in Iran and Pakistan should be undertaken. Omid Poya, the head of the Federation of Exiled Journalists, expressed concern over the situation of Afghan refugees, stating: "Human dignity and human rights should not be ignored." He called for an immediate halt to the deportation process of these individuals from Iran and Pakistan. Seyed Bashir Tariq, the head of civil activists in exile, pointed out that although they have repeatedly urged international organizations to address the cases of Afghan journalists in Iran and Pakistan, no attention has been given to these requests so far. These advocates also reminded that Afghan migrants in Iran and Pakistan are facing numerous difficulties, including economic challenges. Once again, they called on international organizations and host countries to address the cases of Afghan refugees. It is noteworthy that after the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, millions of Afghans are living in uncertain and difficult conditions in Iran and Pakistan.