The Guardian (UK): People in Afghanistan protested on social media that no women were present at a high-level government meeting, despite assurances from the president that they would be involved in important decision-making roles. The outcry followed a tweeted photo of a meeting of 12 political leaders at the presidential palace – all of them
Michael Hughes: The Taliban and ISIS differ only in terms of geographic aspirations. They embrace similar extremist ideologies and envision a society regulated by a harsh religious code. They even share the same tactics – like suicide bombings – and recruit from each other’s flocks. Despite what U.S. officials want the world to believe, the
By Ayaz Gul VOA News | May 15, 2020 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – The United States said Friday it had “assessed” that Islamic State was behind deadly attacks on a maternity clinic and a funeral earlier this week in Afghanistan. “ISIS has demonstrated a pattern for favoring these types of heinous attacks against civilians and is a
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Medical staff in the Afghan capital, Kabul, have been caring for newborn babies left motherless in a deadly attack on a maternity hospital by gunmen on May 12. Volunteers have come forward to breastfeed the children. It’s still unclear who was behind the atrocity.
By Nemat Ahmadi and Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty May 7, 2020 BADAKHSHAN, Afghanistan — Afghan girls and women who have relationships with men outside marriage are often the target of brutal punishments — including public floggings, prison, and even death. One teenage girl who is believed to have broken that social norm paid
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 28, 2020 Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Afghan women and girls with disabilities are being confronted with barriers, discrimination, and sexual harassment when trying to obtain government assistance, health care, and education. A report published on April 28 from the right groups details the obstacles that Afghan women and girls with
Ariana: Zarifa Ghafari Mayor of Maidan Shahr, the capital of Maidan Wardak province, has survived a gun attack in Kabul, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Sunday. Zarifa Ghafari – the first Afghan female mayor – was honored by the US Secretary of State with the International Women of Courage Award on Wednesday on
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 19, 2020 By Freshta Jalalzai Five years ago — on March 19, 2015 — a 27-year-old Afghan woman was beaten and burned alive in the very heart of Kabul by a mob of angry men. Hundreds of people watched the killing of Farkhunda Malikzada, a student of the Koran and Islamic
By Freshta Jalalzai Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 7, 2020 Less than 48 hours before the Taliban signed a conditional peace agreement with the United States, I telephoned the spokesman of the Taliban’s Doha office to discuss the terms of the pending accord. “I am driving at this very moment,” Suhail Shaheen told me when I
Tolo News: The 10th round of the Afghan International Women’s Ski Competition was held on Thursday in Bamiyan and was attended by 17 athletes. Also, the second round of the men’s ski competition, attended by 51 athletes in the Chapa Dara area of Bamyan, was also held on Thursday. In the women’s competition, Nazira, Begum