NRF Delegation Heads to Washington Without Its Leader

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Massoud

Afghanistan International: The National Resistance Front (NRF) announced on Wednesday that Ahmad Massoud would have a virtual meeting with the Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul. The Front stated that a delegation representing Massoud would travel to Washington. Following requests for the presence of the NRF leader in the Foreign Affairs Committee, McCaul, the committee’s chairman, announced that he would meet with representatives of the NRF, including Ahmad Massoud, on September 10. McCaul said that he was eagerly looking forward to hearing Massoud’s thoughts on freeing his people from the Taliban. While the Front’s leader warmly welcomed McCaul’s announcement, it remains unclear why he is not travelling to Washington to meet this Republican representative. Click here to read more (external link).

US voices impatience with Taliban over morality law targeting Afghan women

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Rina Amiri

Ayaz Gul
VOA News
September 4, 2024

Islamabad — An American diplomat has condemned the Taliban’s new morality law in Afghanistan, warning that it “aims to complete the erasure of women from public life.”

Rina Amiri, the United States special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights, posted on social media late Tuesday that she raised concerns about the law during her recent meetings with counterparts in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

“My message was clear: Our support for the Afghan people remains steadfast, but patience with the Taliban is running out,” Amiri wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The way to legitimacy domestically & internationally is respecting the rights of the Afghan people.”

The U.S. warning comes days after the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, enacted the contentious decree that orders Afghan women not to speak aloud in public and cover their bodies and faces entirely when outdoors.

The 114-page, 35-article law also outlines various actions and specific conduct that the Taliban government, called the Islamic Emirate, considers mandatory or prohibited for Afghan men and women in line with its strict interpretation of Islam.

The legal document empowers the Ministry for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice, which the Taliban revived after coming back to power in August 2021, to enforce it strictly.

Enforcers are empowered to discipline offenders, and penalties may include anything from a verbal warning to fines to imprisonment. The law requires them to prevent “evils” such as adultery, extramarital sex, lesbianism, taking pictures of living objects and befriending non-Muslims.

Official Taliban media quoted Akhundzada this week as ordering authorities to “rigorously enforce” the new vice and virtue decree across Afghanistan “to bring the people closer to the Islamic system.”

The law was enacted amid extensive restrictions on Afghan women’s education and employment opportunities.

Since regaining power three years ago, the Taliban have prohibited girls ages 12 and older from continuing their education beyond the sixth grade and restricted women from seeking employment, except in certain sectors such as health.

Afghan females are not allowed to visit parks and other public places, and a male guardian must accompany them on road trips or air travel.

The United Nations promptly responded to the new law last month, condemning it as a “distressing vision” for the impoverished country’s future and urging de facto authorities to reverse it.

The Taliban government, which is officially not recognized by any country, has dismissed U.N.-led foreign criticism as offensive.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesperson, asserted that “non-Muslims should first educate themselves about Islamic laws and respect Islamic values” before expressing concerns or rejecting the law. “We find it blasphemous to our Islamic Sharia when objections are raised without understanding it,” he said.

Ethnic Bias and Pretextual Obstructions: Persian-Speaking Citizens Face Harassment in Taliban Courts

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8am: Some Afghan citizens who have sought official document processing at the Taliban-run courts in Kabul and various provinces have expressed dissatisfaction with the judges’ biased behavior. They report that Taliban judges treat applicants differently when issuing marriage certificates, marriage documentation, single status certificates, and inheritance documents. These citizens claim that judges appointed by the Taliban harass non-Pashtun applicants due to ethnic and regional differences. They urge the Taliban to abandon ethnic, regional, and linguistic biases and provide equal services to all applicants. Political analysts, however, believe such discriminatory practices will persist until the country’s judicial institutions are purged of unqualified and illiterate individuals. During their three years of rule, the Taliban have repeatedly been accused of ethnic, linguistic, and religious biases. Reports indicate that Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara employees in government offices face the constant fear of dismissal and must tolerate the excuses of Taliban officials. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban Reportedly Executes Former Afghan Army Commando in Takhar

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Afghanistan International: Local sources in Takhar province have reported that Taliban forces executed a former member of the Afghan National Army in the Ganj Ali Baik village, located in Taloqan city, the provincial capital. According to sources, the individual, identified as Hussain Rizwani, was a former commando who had taken up farming after the fall of the previous government. Click here to read more (external link).

Related

Afghanistan thrashes New Zealand 5-1 in five-a-side futsal tournament match

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Ariana: Afghanistan’s national futsal team defeated New Zealand 5-1, securing their second victory in their continental five-a-side tournament match on Wednesday afternoon in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the third match for Afghanistan in the tournament. The country’s national futsal team got three points with this victory. The team will next face the host team Thailand on Friday. Click here to read more (external link).

ISIL claims responsibility for deadly Kabul attack

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Al Jazeera: The ISIS (ISIL) group has claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing in Kabul that killed at least six people. In a Telegram post on Tuesday, ISIL said one of its members detonated an explosive vest in the Afghan capital the previous day, targeting the Taliban government’s prosecution service. Click here to read more (external link).

Mullah Hibatullah’s Trip to the North: Exhibition of Power and Efforts to Maintain Group’s Unity

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Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada

8am: Mullah Hibatullah appears to be traveling to the north to solidify his presence in these regions and simultaneously manage internal group conflicts. Internal conflicts within the Taliban are escalating due to ethnic biases. Some commanders who are not ethnically aligned with Mullah Hibatullah have been suppressed, while others seem to be sidelined. This situation has angered Taliban members from the north, who are generally from non-Pashtun backgrounds. The weakening of northern commanders inevitably increases internal tensions. Meanwhile, the ISIS group, as a rival to the Taliban in the north, is also active and recruiting.  Click here to read more (external link).

Kuwait beats Afghanistan 4-3 in five-a-side Futsal tournament match

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Ariana: Kuwait defeated Afghanistan national futsal team 4-3 in their continental five-a-side tournament match on Tuesday afternoon in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the second match for Afghanistan in the tournament. The team will next face New Zealand on Wednesday. Thailand is currently hosting the continental five-a-side tournament, involving teams from Afghanistan, the host Thailand, Guatemala, New Zealand, and Kuwait. Click here to read more (external link).