Amnesty International said that despite the Islamic Emirate’s continued assurances that they respect the rights of women and girls, “millions of women and girls have been systematically discriminated against since the Taliban became the de-facto authorities,” the organization said.
Amnesty International called on the international community to “hold the Taliban accountable.”
Human Rights Watch called the international community’s response about the recent restriction on women “disappointing.”
“I have to say that the international community’s response both over the past two weeks and over the last nine months has been very disappointing. You know, I think that most of the foreign diplomats dealing with Afghanistan are men, they don’t seem to be as concerned about the women’s rights situation as they should be and overall there seems to be this great desire to kind of move on from Afghanistan and forget about it. And this is unforgivable given the role that all of these countries have played over the last 20 years in creating the current situation,” said Heather Barr, director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch.
Norway Ambassador Ole Andreas Lindeman in his meetings with Islamic Emirate’s officials discussed the importance of a free press and women’s equal and meaningful participation in society.
The order of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue has faced widespread reactions at a national and international level.
“The international organization and human rights organizations, the European Union and UNAMA should take practical steps instead of making statements,” said Monisa Mubariz, a women’s rights activist.
The male presenters at TOLOnews and other influential journalists across the world wore masks in solidarity with the Afghan female presenters and launched a Twitter hashtag campaign #freeherface.
Meanwhile, public relations analysts said that wearing masks during TV programs affects the conveying of messages in the news.
“The covering of faces causes the TV presenters trouble pronouncing words and narrating the sentences,” said Nabil Rahil, a university instructor.
TOLOnews and other TV channels in Kabul on Sunday followed an order of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue regarding covering female presenters’ faces. However, TOLOnews maintained its arguments in this regard, saying there was no clear indication regarding covering female presenters’ faces on TV programs in the recent decree about Hijab by the Islamic Emirate’s leadership.
In addition, TOLOnews said it “considers images of female presenters on TV as virtual and not the actual presence of women, and therefore stands on its position regarding this matter.”
Fazl Hadi Muslimyar, the speaker of the former government’s senate, says that in order to end the war in Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate must engage in talks with its opponents.
According to Muslimyar, people are tired of the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
“They (Islamic Emirate) should negotiate and sit down with its armed opposition, even if it is a small group –under the name of national resistance. There is no benefit to war,” said Fazl Hadi Muslimyar, speaker of the senate of the previous government.
Muslimyar told TOLOnews that he had traveled to the United Arab Emirates for medical treatment and that there was no ban on his travel by the Islamic Emirate.
Muslimyar, who today returned to Afghanistan after a 20-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said he had also met with political figures and former government officials during his visit.
“A person who is the third person in a system or who is the head of a pillar of a government (senate)–it is natural that he may have some problems. No one officially has told me that you cannot go abroad,” said Fazl Hadi Muslimyar, speaker of the senate of the former government.
He praised the establishment of the commission to facilitate communication with and the return of former leaders to the country, saying that some figures in the previous government are willing to return to Afghanistan.
“They should reach an understanding with their friends. The committee has been appointed for them to come to their homeland. I say again– be confident. I am sure, but someone else may not be sure,” said Fazl Hadi Muslimyar, Speaker of the senate of the former government.
Since the reestablishment of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan, Fazl Hadi Muslimyar is the first senior official of the former government to be allowed to travel abroad.—Tolonews
