Khaama: For the fourth consecutive year, the United Nations has rejected the Taliban’s request to assign Afghanistan’s seat to a representative of their group. This decision was made during a session of the Credentials Committee. The Taliban had earlier nominated Suhail Shaheen as their representative to the UN. However, the United Nations has yet to officially recognize him as Afghanistan’s representative. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan girls turn to online learning, defying Taliban education ban
VOA News
By Homa Wahaj
November 22, 2024
Washington — Saliha began taking online classes after she lost hope of returning to school to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor in Afghanistan.
She was in ninth grade when U.S.-led forces withdrew from the country and the Taliban seized power in August 2021, banning girls’ secondary education.
“I used to dream of finishing school and going to university,” said Saliha, 18, who did not want her family name to be revealed for security reasons. “But now, considering all the limitations, my hope is just to have any kind of education, whether via online courses or underground school.”
With the Taliban’s ban on secondary education in its fourth year, some Afghan girls and young women like Saliha are looking for an alternative source of education.
According to the United Nations, more than 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been affected by the ban.
Under the Taliban, women are barred from receiving a university education, working with government and nongovernmental organizations, and going to public places, such as parks, gyms and beauty salons.
Like other Afghan girls and young women, Saliha and her four sisters must remain at home, but, she said, she is determined to continue her education.
“I saved every penny to purchase a computer and pay for the internet,” she said, to continue learning online.
But not all Afghan girls and women can afford to take online courses.
In 2022, only 6% of women had internet access in Afghanistan, compared with 25% of men, according to Gallup.
Flexibility required
Pashtana Durrani, founder of LEARN Afghanistan, a digital school network in the country, told VOA that because of Afghans’ varying degrees of access, her organization provides different education models.
“A one-size-fits-all approach does not work in Afghanistan. The key is being flexible and responsive to each community,” said Durrani.
In addition to offering online classes, Durrani’s organization runs underground schools in six provinces, educating some 700 girls.
But, she said, there is a need to work with local elders to ensure more girls attend these classes.
Meetra Alokozay, executive director of Sahar Education, a nonprofit working to empower women in Afghanistan, told VOA it was essential that men support female family members to attend either online or underground classes.
“We want men to support their daughters and sisters in pursuing an education,” said Alokozay.
But, she said, the Taliban’s return to power affected the education system in Afghanistan.
UNESCO reported that the number of girls and boys enrolled in primary school dropped from 6.8 million in 2019 to 5.7 million in 2022.
The ban has already taken a toll on girls and women.
A primary school teacher in Kabul, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, told VOA that after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, parents withdrew some of her students from school even before they finished the sixth grade.
“Shortly after, they were both married off. I don’t remember their exact age, but I do know they were no older than 13 years,” added the teacher.
Mental health problems
A report by exiled Afghan human rights watchdog Rawadari this month said that girls in Afghanistan are experiencing a deterioration in mental health and an increase in suicide attempts, in addition to being forced into marriage.
“As a result of the ban on women’s education, violence against women increased, which has made life difficult for girls and women” in Afghanistan, the report said.
Sahar Education’s Alokozay said, “Raising awareness about what’s going on in Afghanistan is crucial. Many people, even in the U.S., are unaware of the situation.”
Saliha urged the international community “not to leave Afghan girls alone.”
“Think about us, write about us, give us opportunities to learn, and help us fight this system,” she said. “If one door closes, help us find another.”
This story originated in VOA’s Afghan Service.
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Gunmen attack Sufi shrine in northern Afghanistan, killing 10
Amu: The Taliban’s police command in Baghlan Province reported that 10 people were killed in an armed attack on a shrine in the Nahrin district late Thursday night. In a statement, the Taliban described the incident as “mysterious,” adding that the attack took place at a khanqah, or Sufi lodge, within the shrine. Abdul Ghayoor Khadem, the Taliban’s head of security for Baghlan, said several individuals have been detained in connection with the incident. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Taliban have not commented on the incident. However, Islamic State Khorasan, or Daesh, has a history of targeting Sufi shrines and practices in Afghanistan. The group has carried out similar attacks in recent years, including assaults on Sufi gatherings in Kabul, as well as in the provinces of Balkh and Kunduz. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – November 22, 2024
Zahra Baloch: Terrorist groups in Afghanistan pose serious threat to region
Khaama: The spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, stated that terrorist groups have found safe havens in Afghanistan and are launching attacks on Pakistan from there. Over the past three years, attacks by the Pakistani Taliban on Pakistan’s security forces have intensified. Analysts suggest that the Pakistani militants are allies of the Afghan Taliban, who are reluctant to expel them from Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
The Taliban: From Religious Slogans to Ethnic Actions
Taliban militants dancing (file photo)
8am: The Taliban, too, claim to enforce God’s Sharia and incessantly speak of Islam and Islamic law. Yet, their actions practically fulfill the aspirations of ethnonationalists, achieving their goals and dreams. It is no coincidence that some ethnic nationalists sympathize with the Taliban, ecstatic that political and military power has fallen into their hands. The Taliban’s governance experiences, both in the 1990s and now, have made it clear for the umpteenth time that “in Afghanistan, slogans are always national, but actions are ethnic.” Therefore, one must not be deceived by appearances. Click here to read more (external link).
Terrorist Groups in Afghanistan and Rising Anger Among the Taliban’s Regional Allies: The Failure of Appeasement
8am: Sardar Mohammad Rahimi, a regional affairs expert, argued that Afghanistan’s neighbors have never viewed the Taliban strategically but have been compelled by geography to maintain ties with the group. According to Rahimi, these countries’ experiences with the Taliban have shown that they cannot trust the group domestically or regionally. Rahimi also stated that the Taliban remain within the sphere of influence of the United States. He explained that the weekly aid from the United States to Afghanistan holds clear significance for neighboring countries, as it aligns with the geopolitical goals and influence of the U.S. in South Asia. He emphasized that if this analysis is accurate, China’s concerns about the Taliban will intensify daily. Rahimi continued, “What is happening in Afghanistan is part of a larger project, and Afghanistan is awaiting the moment when the expansion of terrorist groups will create an opportunity to directly involve China, Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asia.” Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – November 21, 2024
Taliban threaten to shut down women-only cafes in Herat
Amu: Women running women-only cafes in Herat say the Taliban have threatened to close their establishments, dealing another blow to their efforts to maintain financial independence and create safe spaces for women. The cafes, primarily operated by students and female entrepreneurs, serve as a vital source of income and a rare refuge in a city where opportunities for women are increasingly scarce under Taliban rule. According to sources, Taliban officials from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have raided the cafes over the past three days, warning owners to cease operations immediately. Click here to read more (external link).
Life under Taliban rule
Taliban Imprisons 150 Foreign Nationals, Including 10 Iranians
Afghanistan International: Sources from the Taliban’s Prisons Regulatory Authority confirmed to Afghanistan International that 150 foreign nationals are currently being held in the group’s prisons in Afghanistan. According to these sources, at least 10 of these prisoners are Iranian. According to statistics provided by the agency, a total of nearly 12,000 prisoners are held in Taliban-controlled prisons in Afghanistan. The Taliban has not yet provided details about the identities and reasons for not releasing these foreign prisoners in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).