8am: Mohammad Nader, one of the cave dwellers near the Western Buddha (Salsaal), shares his perspective: “During the republic era, the caves around us were nearly empty. Some deserving individuals were provided shelter, and others who could afford to rent homes were evacuated from the caves after identification by a government committee.” He further adds that with the Taliban’s control, a significant number, reaching hundreds of families, have sought refuge in the caves again. All the caves that were previously vacated are now occupied once more. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan Journalist Released Amid Criticism Over Increasing Taliban Intimidation
Afghan journalist Ruhollah Sangar (file photo)
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
December 19, 2023
An Afghan journalist detained by the Taliban’s intelligence service has been released amid increasing concerns over mounting Taliban harassment of Afghan journalists.
The Taliban detained Ruhollah Sangar, a correspondent for the independent Tolo TV, on December 17 while he was reporting from Charikar, the capital of the northern Parwan Province.
The Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence released Sangar on December 19 in Charikar, prompting the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC), a local media watchdog, to welcome his release, noting in a statement that his arrest “violated the country’s media law.”
The AFCJ said that Afghan law requires authorities to help journalists who should be able to carry out their activities without “restrictions or threats.”
On December 12, the Taliban handed down a one-year sentence to journalist Sultan Ali Jawadi in the central province of Daikundi.
He headed the local broadcaster Nasim Radio and was convicted for “propaganda against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” and “espionage for foreign countries” by rebroadcasting the programs of banned international media.
The Taliban has also been holding journalist Abdul Rahim Mohammadi in the southern Kandahar Province since December 4. He works for independent Afghan broadcaster Tamadon TV.
AFJC has documented an alarming rise in the harassment of journalists in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan since March. It has documented 75 incidents of journalists being detained or threatened. Some 33 journalists were arrested during this period, while various branches of the Taliban government threatened another 42.
“The majority of these arrests were carried out by the intelligence department,” the organization said.
The Afghan Free Media Support Organization (NAI) also expressed concern over the rising Taliban intimidation of journalists.
“During the past few days, the Afghan media has seen a rise in coercive behavior towards journalists in different parts of the country,” a December 18 statement by the group said. “This situation has caused serious concerns.”
Abdul Qayyum Wiar, the head of local NGO the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, said the Taliban should ratify the country’s media law to fill the legal vacuum as soon as possible. The Taliban suspended many laws that the previous pro-Western Afghan government had implemented.
“We need a law to determine the responsibilities and duties of both [the journalists and the government]; we will not be able to achieve anything from discussions and demands,” he told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.
After returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban promised to allow freedom of the press, but instead it has tortured and arrested dozens of journalists.
It has also shut down independent radio stations, television studios, and newspapers. Hundreds of media outlets have also closed after losing funding.
The Taliban’s hard-line government has banned some international broadcasters while some foreign correspondents were denied visas.
The ultraconservative Islamist group has also driven hundreds of Afghan journalists into exile.
Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Pakistan boosts security, acts on Kabul’s advice against illegal aliens: PM Kakar
Kakar
Khaama: Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, has highlighted the security issues faced by Pakistan, citing advice from the Taliban administration of Afghanistan to “look inwards.” In response, Pakistan has begun deporting illegal refugees. “No responsible government can ignore such concerns. Whenever we raised this with the interim Afghan government, they advised us to ‘look inwards’. We have finally decided to heed to their advice to put our house in order,” Kakar said. Click here to read more (external link).
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Tolo News in Dari – December 19, 2023
The Taliban Promises and Neighbors’ Despair: Terrorist Groups Threaten the Region from Afghan Soil
8am: The head of the Center for Afghanistan & Central Asia Strategic Studies (ACASS) adds that the concentration of terrorist groups at northern Afghan borders, especially along the border with Tajikistan, and the expansion of drug trafficking, are perennial concerns… Mr. Iskandar also expresses concern about the relocation of migrants expelled from Pakistan to northern Afghanistan… According to him, the migration to the north, in addition to exacerbating ethnic tensions, poses a serious challenge to the Central Asia region… Mr. Ghiasi adds, “Taliban occasionally cooperate with terrorists in destabilizing northern neighboring countries, especially Tajikistan. According to an unverified report, the Taliban leadership, led by Qari Fasihuddin, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of this group, has requested cooperation with ISIS, stating that they are our Muslim brothers and we should collaborate with them.” These concerns in northern Afghanistan came to light after the Jaish ul-Adl group attacked a military base in Iran. An analysis in the Islamic Republic newspaper suggests that Jaish ul-Adl has a base with Taliban support in Afghanistan. The Iranian newspaper adds that since Jaish ul-Adl secured “logistic and political support” from the Taliban, it was suspected that they would engage in malicious actions. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
US warns citizens against traveling to Afghanistan
Khaama: The US State Department of State has warned all its citizens against travelling to Afghanistan. The warning emphasizes the risk of U.S. citizens being arrested in Afghanistan. On Monday, the Department issued a statement noting the active presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The statement claims that foreign activities in Afghanistan are viewed with suspicion and humanitarian aid workers have faced harassment and arrest by the Taliban administration. The U.S. State Department added that there is a high risk of arrest even for those registered for business purposes. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan: ‘I have to sedate my hungry baby due to aid cuts’
BBC News: “The last time I was able to buy milk for my baby was two months ago. Normally I just fill the [feeding] bottle with tea. Or I soak bread in tea and then feed it to her,” Sohaila Niyazi says, sitting on the floor of her mud brick home up a hill in eastern Kabul. Under Taliban rule, Sohaila says she can’t go out to work and feed her family. “There have been nights when we have had nothing to eat. I say to my children, where can I go begging at this time of night? They sleep in a state of hunger and when they wake up I wonder what I should do. If a neighbour brings us some food the children scramble, saying ‘give me, give me’. I try to split it between them to calm them down,” Sohaila says. Click here to read more (external link).
Extremists attempted to infiltrate Tajikistan from Afghanistan throughout the year: Russia
Ariana: Throughout this year, attempts by extremists to infiltrate Tajikistan have been recorded at the Afghanistan border, Russia’s ambassador in Tajikistan, Semyon Grigoryev, said. “We do not see much progress in the fulfillment of the Taliban’s (IEA) promises regarding ensuring the security of states neighboring Afghanistan,” Grigoryev said in an interview with TASS news agency released on Monday. “Throughout this year, attempts by extremists to break into the territory of Tajikistan have been recorded on the Tajik-Afghan border. Fortunately, all these attacks were promptly suppressed by the Tajik security forces.” Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – December 18, 2023
Taliban’s Opposition to Islamic Sects; Nadeem: “All Afghans Are Followers of the Hanafi Denomination”
Nadeem
8am: Afghanistan is recognized for its diverse social, linguistic, and religious structure. The country encompasses multiple Islamic sects, various ethnic groups, and diverse languages, each with its believers and advocates. The religious freedoms of the Afghan people were officially acknowledged in the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Still, since the Taliban’s return to power, they have disregarded the country’s diverse values, emphasizing forced homogenization and the negation of others. Recently, the acting Minister of Higher Education for the Taliban has denied the existence of other religions in Afghanistan, stating, “All Afghans follow the Hanafi school of thought.” He claims that there are no other religions in Afghanistan. Political activists and religious affairs experts argue that the Taliban do not believe in diversity and plurality in the country, persisting in their mono-ethnic, mono-religious, and mono-linguistic behaviors. Previously, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reported that the Taliban had restricted religious freedoms. Additionally, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) has expressed concern over the prohibition of religious freedom for Shiites by the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).