Amrullah Saleh’s Invitation to Washington: A Message or Mere Formality?

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Amrullah Saleh

8am: In an unexpected move, Tim Burchett, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, has invited Amrullah Saleh, the former first vice president of Afghanistan under Ashraf Ghani’s administration, to visit Washington. This invitation has caused a stir in Afghan media. Burchett stated that he extended the invitation to discuss Afghanistan and its people with Saleh. He also emphasized that the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan poses a threat to the United States. Previously, Burchett had also expressed support for what is known as the Vienna Process, led by anti-Taliban forces. Although this process has so far managed to hold four meetings, it has not made any significant progress. Burchett’s invitation can be seen as part of a pattern, given that Michael McCaul, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had earlier invited Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. That invitation was not declined but resulted in the dispatch of a delegation and a low-profile meeting that did not garner much attention. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghan Taliban Minister Killed In Kabul Blast

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Khalil Haqqani

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
December 11, 2024

Khalil Haqqani, the refugee minister in Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration, has been killed in an explosion in the capital, Kabul, two sources from inside the government told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi on December 11.

The sources said the blast, which occurred inside the ministry’s compound, killed others as well, though no details were given.

Haqqani, the uncle of the Taliban’s acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is the first senior cabinet member to be killed in an explosion since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as international forces withdrew from the war-torn country.

The United States designated Khalil Haqqani as a global terrorist on February 9, 2011 and had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

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UN: Taliban’s legitimacy hinges on respect for human rights in Afghan

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Roza Otunbaeva

Ayaz Gul
VOA News
December 10, 2024

Islamabad — The United Nations reported Tuesday that women and girls are bearing the brunt of a persistent “dangerous erosion” of human rights in Afghanistan, attributing the crisis to an “intentional failure” of the country’s radical Taliban leaders.

“With authority comes responsibility,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, referencing the August 2021 return of the formerly insurgent Taliban to power. “The claim of the de facto authorities to be legitimate representatives of the Afghan people within the United Nations must be accompanied by genuine efforts to uphold and advance our shared norms and values,” she stated.

The UNAMA statement, released in connection with International Human Rights Day, asserted that the human rights record of the Taliban had been particularly marked by their “systematic discrimination” against Afghan women and girls.

The Taliban government, which is not yet formally recognized by any country, has barred Afghan women from almost all aspects of every day and public life. Girls are banned from receiving education beyond the sixth grade, and most workplaces are not allowed to employ female staff except for a few sectors, such as health, police, and immigration. Women cannot undertake road or air trips unless accompanied by a male guardian.

The restrictions stem from dozens of decrees the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has issued over the last three years based on his strict interpretation of Islamic law, known as Sharia.

Tuesday’s statement reminded the Taliban that Afghanistan endorsed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the U.N. General Assembly, on December 10, 1948.

“If Afghans, in particular women and girls, continue to be denied their rights, this constitutes a clear and intentional failure to protect and be responsible for the well-being of all who live in Afghanistan,” said Fiona Frazer, the country representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Taliban leaders have ignored repeated U.N.-led international calls for them to reverse their sweeping curbs on women, saying their governance is in line with Sharia.

The U.N. has repeatedly declined requests from the de facto Afghan authorities to represent the country due to their restrictions on women.

Earlier this month, Afghan public health ministry authorities abruptly ordered medical institutions to stop enrolling female students nationwide, citing a new edict released by Akhundzada. The move has effectively closed one of the last available avenues for girls to seek higher education.

The edict has drawn a global backlash and calls for its immediate reversal amid warnings it would leave millions of women without female nurses and midwives in a country where the Taliban have barred male doctors from treating female patients.

The U.N. has warned the latest ban would exacerbate a deepening humanitarian crisis and health challenges facing poverty-stricken Afghanistan, reeling from years of war and natural disasters.

Conflict Between Schools and Madrassas: Akhundzada Declares Schools Oppose Madrassas and Must Be Shut Down

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Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada

8am: An audio recording of a speech by Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban Supreme Leader, has been obtained by the Hasht-e Subh Daily, in which he issued an order to close all schools, including both girls’ and boys’ schools, in Afghanistan. In the speech, Akhundzada compares the concept of school with that of a madrassa, stating that the “ethics” taught in schools corrupt people’s morals and change their views, thus schools should be shut down. He claims that the madrassa was created in opposition to the school, and the Taliban should establish madrassas instead of schools and send their children there. Akhundzada, in this comparison, refers to the result of school Pakistan’s former President Pervez Musharraf and in Afghanistan, former President Hamid Karzai as negative, whereas he presents the result of a madrassa as positive, representing himself and the Taliban. He then urges his audience to judge which system is more beneficial for Muslims in Afghanistan. Akhundzada also refers to “school knowledge” as “stomach knowledge,” stating that he does not want such knowledge. The exact date of this speech’s recording is unclear, but it was recorded in Quetta, Pakistan when he was a teacher at a madrassa, and it is now widely circulated among the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban Targeting The Hazara In Afghanistan Yet Again

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Forbes: In November 2024, the Guardian, the Centre for Information Resilience’s Afghan Witness project, Lighthouse Reports and the Afghan news outlets Zan Times and Etilaat Roz published the findings of their investigation into the Taliban’s “regeneration program” across Kabul. According to the report, the Taliban began the “redevelopment” in Kabul soon after returning to power in August 2021 and continues to this day. Their analysis of satellite imagery revealed that 1.56 sq km (385 acres) of the city was flattened. While the Taliban claim that such demolitions were part of the “regeneration program” of the area, it now transpires that the Taliban had a brutal impact on the most vulnerable communities, such as minorities or internally displaced people (IDPs). Among others, the Hazara and Tajik minorities are significantly affected, raising the question of whether the destruction is in part linked to ethnicity. Click here to read more (external link).

Ghor Residents Protest Poor Healthcare Services

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Tolo News: Residents of several districts in Ghor province have complained about limited services at healthcare centers in these districts. According to them, many residents of Ghor’s districts are forced to transfer their patients to Ghor’s provincial center or other provinces due to this challenge. “When we bring our patients here, there are no facilities. My patient was giving birth. This center doesn’t even have a room where visitors can light a fire to warm themselves in the cold season. Caretakers have to stay out in the open fields,” said Ghulam Rasool, a resident of Shahrak district in Ghor. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghanistan extends Jonathan Trott’s tenure as national cricket coach

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Amu: The Afghanistan Cricket Board has extended the contract of Jonathan Trott, the national team’s head coach, through 2025, citing his instrumental role in the team’s recent successes on the global stage. The announcement follows a 2.5-year tenure during which Mr. Trott oversaw significant milestones for Afghan cricket, including standout performances in major international tournaments. Under his leadership, Afghanistan achieved historic victories at the ICC One-Day International Cricket World Cup, defeating teams such as England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands. The national team’s efforts secured them a place among the top eight teams in the competition, earning Afghanistan their first-ever qualification for the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled for 2025. Click here to read more (external link).

Other Cricket News

Haqqani: Ruler should not impose his views

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Sirajuddin Haqqani

Ariana: Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani has said that religion should not be monopolized and the ruler should not impose his views on others. Speaking at a madrassa in Kabul, Haqqani emphasized that the religious duty must be performed correctly and that the Islamic system should not distance people from religion but rather bring them closer. He said that it is the responsibility of an Islamic system to prevent people from turning to corruption and apostasy. Click here to read more (external link).

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