The Taliban supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada had come up with an astonishing statement where he claimed that he had made the lives of Afghan women much better under the Sharia law.
Akhunzada, who is based in Kandahar, in his Eid message, said that they were able to bring reforms in many sectors, including reforms in women’s hijab (scarf) and that women’s rights have been ensured based on Sharia.
The Taliban leader also claimed his government has adopted necessary steps for the betterment of women’s lives. However, the statement did not mention girls’ education and women’s rights to work.
Akhunzada, the leader of Taliban that rarely appears in public or visits the capital city Kabul from Kandahar, has said that under the rule of Islamic Emirate, bold steps have been taken to save women from much oppression, including forced marriages to provide them with comfortable life according to the Sharia law.
“Reforms are underway in law-making, governance, judiciary, economy, culture and other related fields. These are the goals and values for which we have fought and made great sacrifices,” the statement reads.
However, since the Taliban takeover of power in August 2021, the Taliban has taken stronger action against the women, and already banned girl’s education after the sixth grade. The women were also barred from public life and work, and even those working with NGOs and UN organizations were ordered to stay at home.
The message was distributed in five languages – Arabic, Dari, English, Pashto and Urdu, where Akhundzada said at the “national level, the independence of Afghanistan has been restored once again, brotherhood and national unity have been strengthened, all kinds of prejudices such as race, language and region have been eliminated, the territorial integrity of the country has been preserved and all borders are strictly defended and protected.”
Stealing the government assets
He also blamed previous high-ranking officials of the republic government and accused them of stealing the government assets. “Afghanistan’s national assets, such as customs and revenues, mines, state land, forests and other common assets have been taken from powerful individuals and now being protected as state assets.”
He also hinted toward the economic sector and rejected the economic crisis and claimed the economic collapse was prevented as a result of “Islamic Emirate’s wise measures, sincerity and transparency.”
For the first time in recent history, Afghanistan has become economically self-sufficient, furthermore, concrete steps have been taken and are underway in rehabilitation, reconstruction, agriculture, mining and other related sectors, Akhundzada claimed.
But the UN says over 28 million population of Afghanistan needs humanitarian support and labeled Afghanistan as the worst humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, Akhundzada said that significant steps have been taken to divert beggars from begging and thousands of beggars who are in need are being given assistance by the government.
Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan
He also spoke about cultivation of poppy and praised his government’s efforts in taking steps to eliminate the menace.
“Farmers are looking for alternatives and legal cultivation is expanding, meanwhile, a ban has been imposed on production, trafficking and use of all kinds of drugs and now, many citizens, specially the youth are saved from this harm,” he added.
However, the United Nations’ annual World Drug Report has spoken differently and reported the narcotics situation worldwide in which Afghanistan continued to account for the majority 80pc of global illicit opium production in 2022.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) in its annual report said that while global opium production remained high at 7,800 tons in 2022, which was mainly driven by high levels of production in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s ban this year on poppy cultivation “may have an impact on the 2023 opium harvest there.”
“The benefits of a possible drastic reduction in illicit opium cultivation in Afghanistan in 2023 will be global but will be at the expense of many farmers in the country who do not have alternative means of income generation. Shared responsibility calls for donors, in particular those that will benefit most from reduced trafficking of Afghan heroin, to urgently provide support for the people in rural areas of Afghanistan to develop livelihoods away from illicit opium cultivation,” the report added.
The Taliban leader also said that many institutions of the “Islamic Emirate are working to treat those who became addicted in the past 20-year and efforts are underway to bring them back to a normal life.
Taliban leader asks his men to treat people properly
Calling on his members, Akhundzada said that the Taliban officials should carry out the given responsibility seriously, emphasizing over wellbeing of the people to be remained on top. “Keep your doors open toward the people, do things efficiently and never treat people in a way that makes them feel less than you. This is the same nation who sacrificed their lives and properties during the past 20-year. I instruct the security officials to pay full attention to the well-being, service and safety of the citizens, especially during Eid. Consider all measures for the welfare and safety of the countrymen and extend your help and support to the families of martyrs, disabled and orphans,” Akhundzada ordered his men.
The world yet to recognize the government of Taliban
The world did not recognize the government of Taliban so far and put the rights of women as key demand to do so.
Afghanistan’s UN envoy Roza Otunbayeva in his speech to the UN security council said that Taliban rulers want UN recognition but reject the world body’s key values.
Otunbayeva said that it is “nearly impossible” for the international community to recognize the Taliban government as long as restrictions on women and girls remain in place.
“In my regular discussions with the de facto authorities, I am blunt about the obstacles they have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted, in particular against women and girls,” Otunbayeva added.
The Taliban has initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first time of governing from 1996 till 2001, but by passing each time, they returned to more restrictions and barred girls from schools and women from most jobs and public places including work, gyms, parks, and baths.
