The US State Department criticized the Islamic Emirate policies on women and girls, saying that these strategies will have a negative impact on the relations of the Islamic Emirate with Washington and the world.
“The legitimacy, the support the Taliban seeks from the international community, it depends on their conduct including centrally and centrally their respect for the rights of women when it comes to the public and private commitments that the Taliban have made.
They have made a number of them, including their counterterrorism commitments, including their pledge to respect and to uphold the human rights of women, girls, Afghanistan’s minorities, including the freedom of access, freedom of travel for those who wish to leave Afghanistan, and when it comes to ISIS K and Al-Qaida. Of course, the Taliban has not been living up to the commitment it has made in the realm of human rights,” said the US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
Price added that Washington’s acknowledgment of the legitimacy of the new government depends on its ensuring the rights of women and girls, fighting terrorism, and other issues in Afghanistan.
Following reports that the Islamic Emirate had set up a commission to convene a Loya Jirga, a European Union diplomat said the Loya Jirga could not improve the current situation in Afghanistan and could not give legitimacy to the current government.
“Holding a Loya Jirga will not improve the situation and it will not be enough. Of course, they do not want to win the people’s vote of confidence. All parties must accept it, but holding a meeting in which not everyone is present and does not accept it will not be worth it,” said Andreas von Brandt, EU Representative for Afghanistan.
Brandt expressed concerns about some restrictions on women, adding that issues that need improvement have lagged behind.
Kabul has always said that the rights of women and girls are ensured within the framework of Islamic law.
TOLOnews tried to get a statement of the Islamic Emirate on this issue but was not able to.
Meanwhile, political analysts have differing views on this issue.
“These policies have created a gap between the people and the government, between the government and the international community, especially with Islamic countries, and created a suffocating atmosphere in Afghanistan,” said Tariq Farhadi, political analyst.
Earlier, Shahabuddin Delawar, acting head of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, spoke of setting up a commission to convene a Loya Jirga.
Although Delawar did not say anything about the timing of the jirga, he stressed that all Afghans, especially influential figures in the peace process, would be summoned to the Loya Jirga.
In reaction to the Islamic Emirate’s recent restrictions on women’s rights, a spokesman for the US Department of State said “when we’re acting with partners around the world, we have sources of leverage to wield with the Taliban.”
US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price made the remarks at a press conference on Monday and said the US has “noted that the Taliban continue to adopt policies oppressing women and girls, in many ways as a substitute for addressing the acute economic crisis and the need for inclusive government.”
He said the US has called “for an end to these restrictive measures”.
The Islamic Emirate earlier announced new rules for women’s hijab in Afghanistan—which faced widespread criticism around the world.
“We have expressed our deep dismay, we have expressed our deep concern with what we have seen from the Taliban, with what we have heard from the Taliban in recent days and in recent weeks,” he said.
But the Islamic Emirate called the new hijab ruling an internal issue and urged the US to resolve the issues through diplomatic paths.
“We call on the US to use diplomatic and formal ways to address concerns and problems instead of force,” said Inammullah Samangani, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.
This comes as the Junbish-e-Zanan Muqtadir of Afghanistan in reaction to the Islamic Emirate’s new rules for women’s hijab held a protest on Tuesday in Shahr-e-Naw of Kabul city.
They called on the Islamic Emirate to reconsider decision about the women’s hijab.
“The Afghan women will never accept the oppressive policy and ideas of a group and will fight until the last breath in this regard,” said Razia, a protestor.
Price also said the US has remained one of the largest humanitarian providers to the people of Afghanistan.
“We have provided hundreds of millions of dollars worth of humanitarian support, including an additional installment of humanitarian support recently,” he said. “We’ve spoken, of course, of the reserves, half of which will be available to the people of Afghanistan.”
According to Price, the Islamic Emirate policies towards women are “an affront” to human rights and will continue to impair their relations with the international community. —Tolonews
