Politico: Overall, there’s no denying that the number of Afghan asylum seekers have gone up as conflict has gripped their country and NATO allies left the reins to the Taliban. But with the oppression they’re under, Afghan women perhaps make clearest case for protection. And yet, activists now fear European governments will come under pressure from the populist right and mull third country repatriation for all asylum seekers — including Afghan women. Click here to read more (external link).
Iran appoints new head for its diplomatic mission in Kabul
Amu: Iran has appointed Alireza Bigdeli as the new head of its diplomatic mission in Kabul, according to Iranian media reports. The appointment was made through a directive issued by Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister. Bigdeli succeeds Hassan Kazemi Qomi, who had also served as Iran’s special envoy to Afghanistan. However, Iranian media reports state that “the office of the special presidential envoy for Afghanistan will be dissolved, and the special representative for Afghanistan will once again operate directly under the supervision of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.” Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Prison Chief in Nangarhar Dismissed Amid Forced Marriage Allegations
Afghanistan International: Local sources in Nangarhar informed Afghanistan International on Sunday, 24 November, that Muqtada had coerced a young woman, who was imprisoned on charges of “running away from home,” into marriage. The woman had allegedly fled from Pakistan to Afghanistan with an unrelated man, for which she was detained by the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
Killed Three Taliban Members In Attack On Bagram Airfield, Caims AFF
Afghanistan International: The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) announced that it had killed three Taliban members and wounded two members of the group in an attack on the out post of Gate No. 4 of Bagram Airport on Thursday evening. The statement said that Mullah Zakir, the Taliban’s deputy commander, was killed in the attack at the Bagram Airfield. So far, the Taliban have not responded to the Afghanistan Freedom Front’s claim. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Tortures NRF Members Inside Bagram Prison, Claims NRF Commander
Afghanistan International: Hamid Saifi, a commander of the National Resistance Front (NRF), said that the situation in Bagram prison is worrisome, and that the Taliban is “mentally and physically torturing” members of this front. He called on the United Nations to send a delegation to the Bagram prison to address the issue and prevent the “oppression of the Taliban”. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban begin shutting down women-only cafes in Herat
Amu: The Taliban have started shutting down women-only cafes in Herat Province in western Afghanistan, further eroding the few remaining spaces where women can gather freely under their restrictive rule. In the past week, at least three such cafes have been forced to close, with the Taliban’s morality police warning the owners of two others to cease operations permanently, according to sources familiar with the situation. On Friday, another women-only café in Herat was ordered to shut down. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – November 23, 2024
UN denies Afghanistan Seat to Taliban for fourth consecutive year
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.
Related
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).