Search Results

Sent to Zan TV The Women's Hope Window Movement, in a statement, strongly condemned the plan known as "Mosaic" or "UNAMA's Comprehensive Approach," describing it as a "dangerous, deceptive, and a violation of fundamental human rights." In a statement released on Wednesday (May 14), the movement emphasized that this plan not only fails to reflect the will and desires of the Afghan people but is an attempt to legitimize the Taliban as a legal government. The movement warned that UNAMA's approach is essentially "cleansing terrorism, promoting gender discrimination, and betraying global justice." The Women's Hope Window Movement described the "Mosaic" plan as not a reflection of the people's voice but a symbol of power monopoly. The movement warned that UNAMA's comprehensive approach ignores the voices of protesting women and civil society groups and instead introduces the Taliban as a negotiation partner without any human rights preconditions. The statement reads: "With this plan, UNAMA introduces the Taliban as a negotiation partner without any human rights preconditions. While Afghan women are deprived of their most basic human rights, UNAMA seeks 'constructive engagement' with a government that criminalizes women's education, work, and freedom of movement." The statement also added that this approach practically sends the message that gender apartheid is acceptable and that by remaining silent against the structural oppression of women, UNAMA is announcing to the world that gender discrimination can be institutionalized while still gaining international legitimacy. The movement warned that UNAMA's approach is not only a betrayal of the Afghan people but also a threat to regional and international security. The Women's Hope Window Movement, in its statement, called for the immediate cancellation of the Mosaic plan and the initiation of a genuine comprehensive process with the participation of independent women representatives, civil activists, war victims, and democratic institutions. The movement also stressed the need to end the policy of legitimizing the Taliban and impose human rights and political sanctions on systematic violators of women's rights in Afghanistan. The Women's Hope Window Movement deemed it essential for the United Nations Security Council and international organizations to officially condemn gender apartheid as a crime against humanity. It also called for the establishment of an international mechanism for holding UNAMA accountable and for complete transparency about the contents of this plan before the public opinion of the Afghan people. It is worth mentioning that the "Mosaic" plan was introduced by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) with the aim of creating a space for dialogue among all political and social stakeholders in Afghanistan. However, human rights activists and civil society groups have expressed concern over its potential impact on legitimizing the Taliban.

Photo: Wakil Kohsar, AFP Local sources in the provinces of Badakhshan and Nangarhar report that the Taliban, in a systematic action, have reduced and eliminated university and administrative positions, particularly those held by women, in the universities of these provinces. According to the sources, at Badakhshan University, the Taliban have terminated the positions of 36 university professors, most of whom are women. A female professor at the university, who is also among those dismissed, told the media that this action by the Taliban is systematic and deliberately targeted against women. She added, " My only source of income was my monthly salary of five thousand Afghanis from this job, but now it has been cut off by the Taliban. " The professor also pointed out that the list of those dismissed includes the names of some male professors who left the university three years ago. Meanwhile, sources at Nangarhar University say that nine academic and administrative positions have been eliminated from the Faculty of Education alone. According to the sources, among these positions, six teaching posts, including two female professors, have been removed from the new structure. Additionally, three other administrative positions were cut, and one position was renamed. The source also stated that the Geography Department has been removed from Nangarhar University, and the Taliban are working to eliminate other faculties and departments as well. It is worth mentioning that the Taliban had previously, in a similar move, terminated around 60 to 70 female professors with master's and doctoral degrees at Kabul University.

Photo: (C)Shehzad Noorani Local sources in the provinces of Logar and Paktika have reported that the Taliban's Directorate of Education has shut down hundreds of local educational classes for young girls and children in these two provinces. According to the sources, around 130 educational classes in Logar, which were operating with financial support from the "WIFA" organization, have been closed by the Taliban. These classes were active in the districts of Khoshi, Azra, and Mohammad Agha, where approximately 3,091 boys and girls up to the fifth grade were studying. Sources confirmed that the Taliban's Directorate of Education collected all materials from these classes and shut them down. As a result, dozens of teachers are now unemployed, and hundreds of children have been deprived of education. Meanwhile, local sources in Paktika have also reported that the Taliban closed 267 educational classes for young girls and transferred their equipment to Jihadi schools. These classes, funded by the "WIFA" organization, were operating in the districts of Barmal, Giyan, Zerok, Nika, Surobi, Urgun, Sar Hawza, Mata Khan, Zarghun, Janikhel, Yusufkhel, and Yahyakhel. According to sources, with the closure of these educational centers, around 11,800 young girls have been deprived of education, and hundreds of teachers are now unemployed. It is worth noting that since regaining control over Afghanistan, the Taliban has banned girls above the sixth grade from continuing their education in schools and closed universities to female students. Additionally, the group has converted several orphanages into Jihadi schools and transferred school equipment to the students of these schools.

Image Credit: UNICEF/UN785199/Khayyam The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced that it will provide cash assistance to 66,000 families in Afghanistan, aiming to support newborn children in the country. On Monday (May 12), UNICEF stated in a report that this project will support newborns up to 18 months of age. The organization added that 66,000 eligible families in the provinces of Zabul, Kunar, Samangan, and Ghor will receive this assistance. According to UNICEF, the rate of malnutrition in these provinces is assessed to be higher than in other parts of Afghanistan. UNICEF emphasized that this project is being funded with the support of the Asian Development Bank and its other international partners. The provided cash assistance is intended to be used for the provision of food and medical treatment for infants in these provinces. It is worth mentioning that the malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan continues to worsen. Previously, the United Nations had warned that the number of children suffering from this condition could reach 3.5 million this year.

Photo: Learning Together / Global Issues The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice of the Taliban has once again intensified restrictions on social media in Afghanistan with a new warning. In an audio message broadcast today, Monday (May 12), on National Television, the ministry announced that the "un-Islamic and immoral" use of social media would face legal consequences. Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, the spokesperson for this ministry, emphasized in his audio message that no individual or institution is allowed to use social networks for purposes other than what the Taliban describes as "defending Islam, promoting religious sciences, strengthening the unity of the Islamic Ummah, and disseminating reliable news." The Taliban official also warned that the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue, using its "legal authority and available means," monitors users' online activities and will prosecute violators. While the Taliban government has imposed widespread censorship on domestic media, it is now attempting to bring the remaining space on social media under its full control. According to reports, the group has so far banned the publication of images of living beings in more than 20 provinces, even on the official pages of media outlets, government institutions, and private companies. Concerns over the Taliban's pressure on freedom of expression are growing as ordinary citizens and journalists have repeatedly been arrested, tortured, and imprisoned for their activities on social media, accused of "violating" the frameworks announced by the group. Currently, at least 10 journalists are being held in Taliban prisons, solely for publishing reports that contradicted the views and interests of this group. An exiled female journalist, who requested anonymity, said: “For Afghan women who are surrounded by silence and erasure from all sides, social media remains the only window for breathing freely. The Taliban want to close even this window.” Meanwhile, the Afghan Women's Rights Watch, through an official statement, condemned the Taliban's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue's warning, describing it as part of "systematic efforts to silence women in all areas, from home to cyberspace." The statement read: "By banning and threatening social media users, the Taliban seek to destroy the last stronghold of Afghan women's expression. This policy is not only a blatant violation of the right to freedom of expression but also a deliberate attempt to erase women's voices from the collective memory of society." Darya Ahmadi, a women's rights activist and one of the officials of this organization, told Zan TV: "When a woman can no longer even write about her pains in an Instagram post, it means she has been imprisoned in absolute darkness. The world's silence towards this silent crime is equivalent to complicity with oppression." The Afghan Women's Rights Watch has called on the United Nations, media freedom advocacy organizations, and governments in contact with the Taliban to take immediate action to protect women's right to free expression, even in the virtual world.

Photo: wikipedia Local sources in Herat province have reported that a man and a woman were shot dead by unknown individuals on charges of having an "extramarital relationship." Sources said on Monday (May 12) that the incident took place four days ago in the city of Herat. Ghulam Nabi Nabizadeh, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Herat, confirmed the incident and stated that two relatives of the victims have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the case. This comes as the Taliban resumed public trials and executions after regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The Taliban leader has consistently defended punishments such as flogging and stoning as methods of enforcing justice.

Photo: Melbourne Victory | X The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), with the approval of a special strategy, has officially agreed to form the Afghanistan Women's Football Team in Exile. This decision, described by FIFA President Gianni Infantino as a "historic moment," came in response to repeated requests from Afghan female players and human rights organizations. According to the official statement released by FIFA on Friday (May 9), the team, named the "Afghanistan Women's Refugee Team (AWRT)," will initially operate on a trial basis for one year. The purpose of this trial phase is to assess the feasibility of continuing the project long-term and to create a model for supporting similar teams among refugees from other countries. The team will consist of Afghan female footballers who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban's takeover and are now living as refugees in various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia, and Albania. FIFA announced that members of this team will be allowed to participate in official friendly matches and tournaments organized under the federation's supervision. However, this step has not yet addressed the main demand of Afghan players for official recognition as Afghanistan's national team and participation in World Cup and Asian Championship qualifiers. After the fall of the republic and the return of the Taliban to power in 2021, all women's sports activities in Afghanistan were halted, and the Afghanistan Women's National Football Team was disbanded. The last official match of the team was held in 2018. Since then, Afghanistan has not participated in any international women's football competitions, and the country's name has been removed from FIFA's global rankings for women's teams. The FIFA president stated, "We are committed to giving every girl in the world the opportunity to play football. This initiative is not only a step towards justice and equality but also an important move to fight discrimination and support the growth of women's football." Although the Afghanistan Football Federation still retains its official FIFA membership, under Taliban control and the complete ban on women's sports, the federation has taken no steps to revive women's sports teams and has not been suspended by FIFA. The FIFA statement emphasized that the organization is directly in contact with Afghan female players and is working to start the activities of this team as soon as possible. FIFA has also committed to providing a safe and supportive environment to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the players. Afghan female players who have been striving for years to gain recognition for their team are now witnessing a significant step toward realizing this goal. However, they still hope that one day they can compete under their country's official flag in international fields.

Photo: AWNAA.af website In the two southern provinces of Afghanistan, Kandahar and Helmand, female cosmetic shop owners are facing increasing pressure and threats from the Taliban. Shopkeepers say that Taliban officials have asked them to hide beauty products from public view. Failure to comply with this order is met with summons, arrest, and punishment. Mohibullah, one of the shopkeepers in the Dane Rangrezan market of Kandahar city, told Zan TV, " Every day, Taliban forces visit the shops. If beauty products are visible, the shop owner is summoned or dealt with. " Dane Rangrezan market, known as one of the main centers for selling women's products in Kandahar, has recently become the target of new restrictions imposed by the Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The Taliban have also banned women from entering this market, although some women still visit it despite the risks to meet their daily needs. These pressures are not limited to Kandahar. In Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, shopkeepers are facing similar conditions. The Taliban have asked vendors not only to hide women's products but also to change their appearance and behavior according to Taliban standards. This includes growing beards and participating in congregational prayers and religious sessions. Ismatullah, one of the vendors, said, " Previously, these activities were managed by the officials of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue, but now the commanders of the security districts themselves are responsible. We always go to the mosque for prayers, but even after the prayer, they keep us and supposedly advise us. " Shopkeepers emphasize that these pressures have made the work environment unsafe, frightening, and unstable, severely disrupting their economic activities. They speak of the lack of freedom in choosing their profession, selling products, and even their manner of dressing. They fear that with the expansion of these restrictions, the local economy and daily life in these provinces will become even more paralyzed.

Photo: 8am media Local sources in Badghis province report that a man in the "Pahlawanan" village of Ab Kamari district beheaded his eight-month-old son due to economic difficulties. According to the sources, the incident took place on Thursday (May 8), and the man, named Dawood, surrendered himself to Taliban forces after killing his son. His eight-month-old son was named Ziah. So far, the Taliban have not commented on the incident. It is worth mentioning that while there have been multiple cases of suicide reported in the past due to poverty and economic crises, the killing of a child by a father because of economic hardship is considered an unprecedented event.

Photo: Fars Local sources in Panjshir province have reported that two military vehicles belonging to the Taliban hit and injured two children in Anaba district and the provincial center. According to these sources, on Wednesday (May 7), a Ford-type vehicle belonging to the Taliban struck an eight-year-old child in Anaba district. Sources say the child was seriously injured and was transferred to Kabul for urgent medical treatment. In a separate incident that occurred on Tuesday in the center of Panjshir, a Hilux-type vehicle carrying Taliban members hit a seven-year-old child who was on his way to school. Eyewitnesses stated that the incident happened while the child was walking to school. The Taliban's police command in Panjshir confirmed both incidents, stating that the drivers involved were arrested. According to the provided information, the detained individuals have been transferred to the Panjshir Military Commission, and their cases have been referred to Taliban judicial authorities for further investigation. It is worth noting that similar incidents involving Taliban military vehicles and civilians have been previously reported in Panjshir.