The Taliban promised not to allow Afghanistan to be used by groups seeking to attack the US, yet terrorist groups have only become more emboldened under its rule.
Research into 70 new Taliban policies to control women and girls shows the extremist, misogynistic group might be using different tactics, but it still poses grave dangers to Afghan society.
Afghan women activists, leaders and former politicians who are now in exile are telling of the continued struggle for women’s rights in Afghanistan and women’s diverse strategies of resistance.
My friend, with whom I co-founded a library in Mazar-i-Sharif, tells me books are like lights. With no one visiting the library and opening books, ‘the lights are off.’
The Taliban’s recent abduction of 40 people, and gang rape of eight women, has not captured Western media attention. But activists inside Afghanistan point to worrying levels of violence.
Four months after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, a clearer picture of their rule is emerging. Despite public assurances, the Taliban continue to violate human rights.
The Taliban is responsible for atrocities dating back to the 1990s, but has never been held responsible. The international community can play a role in ending the impunity.
The Taliban say they won’t allow jihadi groups to flourish under their rule. But there is good reason to believe that al-Qaida, IS and other regional groups will benefit from the takeover.
Segregation and other measures being introduced by the Taliban’s hardline new government are being greeted with widespread protests, many of them led by women.
The potential failure of the US military to protect information that can identify Afghan citizens raises questions about whether and how biometric data should be collected in war zones.