Al-Qaeda has released a 35-minute signaling the radical claims was narrated by its leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, who was killed successful August by the U.S. subject successful a drone onslaught successful Kabul. The SITE quality radical said connected December 23 that the signaling is undated, and the transcript does not intelligibly constituent toward a clip framework for erstwhile it could person been made. Zawahri was killed successful the astonishment U.S. aerial onslaught aft being successful hiding for years. It was the biggest stroke to the militant radical since its founder, Osama bin Laden, was killed successful 2011. To work the archetypal communicative from Reuters, click here.
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Female students astatine universities successful Afghanistan person begun vacating their dormitories aft the Taliban-led authorities said women volition nary longer beryllium capable to question higher acquisition successful the country.
Ahmed Zia Hashemi, spokesperson for the Higher Education Ministry, confirmed to Radio Azadi that the process of women leaving the dormitories had begun.
In a substance connection to Radio Azadi, helium wrote: "Universities are closed, truthful what are [women] doing successful the dormitories?"
A fig of pistillate students successful Kabul and Nangarhar told Radio Azadi that the Taliban told them that their universities were closed and they should spell home.
A pupil astatine Kabul Medical University who did not privation to beryllium identified retired of interest for her information told Azadi Radio that a ample fig of students person gone location and others are leaving.
WATCH: Women successful Afghanistan person been reacting with daze and choler since the Taliban banned them from universities.
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A pistillate pupil astatine the Nangarhar University Faculty of Medicine who likewise did not privation to beryllium named owed to information concerns told Azadi Radio that the Taliban has closed the dormitory for women.
The Taliban announced the determination to prohibition women from universities connected December 20 successful a missive from the Higher Education Ministry to higher acquisition institutions, drafting contiguous condemnation from the planetary assemblage and the United Nations.
Higher Education Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim said connected December 22 that the prohibition was indispensable to forestall the mixing of genders astatine universities and due to the fact that helium believes immoderate subjects being taught violated the principles of Islam.
He besides said pistillate students had ignored Islamic instructions, including connected what to wear, and had failed to beryllium accompanied by a antheral comparative erstwhile traveling.
The prohibition is successful spot until further notice, helium added.
A fig of pistillate students said Nadim's defence of the prohibition was unacceptable to the students and the families who sent their children to study.
"They conscionable privation to fulfill themselves and contiguous a useless crushed to the radical and support the radical engaged with their reasons, which are not the truth," said 1 pupil astatine Kabul Medical University who did not privation to beryllium identified.
Another pupil who besides requested anonymity said it was a "very achy time."
The prohibition connected women attending assemblage is the latest onslaught connected women since the Taliban seized power of Afghanistan successful August past twelvemonth amid the hasty withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from the war-wracked country.
The Taliban antecedently banned girls from attending schoolhouse past the sixth grade, restricted women from holding astir jobs, and ordered them to screen themselves head-to-toe erstwhile successful public. Women are besides banned from entering parks and gyms.
The president of Al-Azhar University condemned the closure of universities to women and asked the authorities to reconsider.
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Women successful Afghanistan person been reacting with daze and choler since the Taliban banned them from universities. Current and aboriginal pistillate students crossed the federation consciousness their futures are being erased. Countries and quality rights groups astir the satellite person harshly criticized the Taliban's decision.
Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, a caller RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the cardinal issues successful Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.
I'm Mustafa Sarwar, a elder quality exertion astatine RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an oculus connected successful the days ahead.
The Key Issue
The Taliban banned women from attending universities successful Afghanistan connected December 20. In a statement, the Taliban's Higher Education Ministry said the determination was effectual immediately, and ordered acquisition institutions to pass the ministry of their compliance. The ministry did not springiness immoderate reasons for its decision.
The determination was rapidly condemned by countries and rights groups astir the world. In Afghanistan, pistillate assemblage students wept and consoled each other aft proceeding the news. Students successful Nangahar University successful eastbound Afghanistan staged a protestation connected December 21 and antheral students walked retired of their exams successful solidarity with their pistillate classmates. On December 22, astir 50 women staged a rally successful Kabul that was violently broken up by Taliban fighters.
Why It's Important: The Taliban's assemblage prohibition is the latest regularisation against women successful Afghanistan. Since the Taliban seized powerfulness past year, the militant radical has severely curtailed pistillate acquisition and women's close to work. The militants person besides imposed restrictions connected women's appearances and state of movement.
The assemblage prohibition is simply a large stroke to women. But it was besides expected. Nida Mohammad Nadim, a hard-line cleric who was appointed arsenic the Taliban's curate for higher acquisition successful October, has said that pistillate acquisition is "un-Islamic and against Afghan values."
The Taliban's latest prohibition has besides provided further grounds that the radical is bent connected reestablishing its brutal authorities from the 1990s, erstwhile women were barred from moving extracurricular their homes and girls were banned from attending school.
What's Next: When it seized power, the Taliban pledged to uphold women's rights. The militant radical projected a much mean representation to person the satellite that it had changed. But the Taliban has failed to conscionable its promises and reimposed galore of its repressive policies of the past. Observers person said the militants are apt to further restrict the rights of women.
The Week's Best
In interviews with Radio Azadi, pistillate students described a feeling of despair and helplessness pursuing the Taliban's prohibition connected women attending university. Najiba, a second-year instrumentality pupil astatine Bamiyan University, said she felt similar a "bird with nary wings who wants to fly." Tamana Azizi, a aesculapian pupil successful Kunduz Province, said her dreams of serving her radical arsenic a doc had been crushed. Farhat Rahmani, a journalism student, said she felt "destroyed."
The families of the eight radical killed successful a deadly Taliban raid past period person called for an planetary investigation. The incidental occurred successful Daikundi, a state successful cardinal Afghanistan that is location to the country's Shi'ite Hazara minority. The Taliban claimed that it had targeted and killed "armed rebels" successful a colony connected November 25. But the survivors and the families of the victims told Radio Azadi that those killed were each civilians, including 4 children.
What To Keep An Eye On
The Taliban has changed the sanction of Charikar, the provincial superior of the bluish state of Parwan, to Imam Azam. The caller Arabic sanction refers to Imam Abu Hanifa, an eighth-century jurist who founded the Hanafi schoolhouse of Islam, the Sunni denomination followed by the Taliban.
A section Taliban authoritative told Radio Azadi connected December 15 that the radical had consulted section leaders and taste figures. But accusation obtained by Radio Azadi suggested that the bid for the sanction alteration had travel from Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.
Why It's Important: Changing the sanction of Charikar, an past metropolis with Buddhist roots, appears to beryllium portion of the Taliban's Islamization drive.
The determination triggered wide online condemnation, with Afghans accusing the Taliban of trying to destruct indigenous taste identities. The Taliban has antecedently changed the names of units successful the Afghan military, replacing Persian and Pashto names with Arabic ones.
That's each from maine for now. Don't hide to nonstop maine immoderate questions, comments, oregon tips that you have.
I promote you to sojourn our website and travel america connected Twitter and Facebook.
Until adjacent time,
Mustafa Sarwar
If you enjoyed this briefing and don't privation to miss the adjacent edition, subscribe here. It volition beryllium sent to your inbox each Friday.
You tin ever scope america at newsletters@rferl.org.
Updated December 22, 2022
Taliban information forces person utilized unit and arrested respective radical arsenic they dispersed a protestation by Afghan women against a ruling that bans pistillate students from universities.
Afghanistan's Taliban announced the determination to forbid women from universities precocious connected December 20 successful a missive from the Islamist group's acquisition ministry to higher acquisition institutions, drafting contiguous condemnation from the planetary assemblage and the United Nations.
A radical of immoderate 50 women dressed successful hijabs, immoderate wearing masks, gathered successful the capital, Kabul, connected December 22 for a peaceful protestation march against the move, chanting slogans against the ban, but were attacked and dispersed by Taliban information forces, participants and witnesses told RFE/RL.
The participants intended to stitchery extracurricular Kabul University, Afghanistan's largest and astir prestigious higher acquisition institution, but switched to a antithetic determination aft a ample fig of information forces members were deployed there.
One of the women who attended the march, Basira, told RFE/RL that information forces bushed immoderate of the participants and took them away, portion others managed to escape. A fig of journalists covering the protestation person been reportedly detained, too.
"Unfortunately, the Taliban turned our protestation into unit erstwhile again," she told RFE/RL.
She said she did not cognize the full fig of women who were arrested, but said 1 pistillate she knows, Zahra Mandaj, was arrested with 4 others. Basira said she and others avoided apprehension by moving into houses whose occupants had opened their doors.
Another participant, Shahla Arefi, told RFE/RL that plainclothes pistillate members of the information forces had infiltrated the march and immobilized immoderate protesters who attempted to tally erstwhile equipped Taliban men appeared.
Taliban authorities person not commented connected the incident, but the Taliban-led government's curate of higher acquisition defended the determination to prohibition women from universities.
Nida Mohammad Nadim said successful an interrogation with Afghan tv that the prohibition was indispensable to forestall the mixing of genders astatine universities and due to the fact that helium believes immoderate subjects being taught violated the principles of Islam.
He besides said pistillate students had ignored Islamic instructions, including connected what to wear, and had failed to beryllium accompanied by a antheral comparative erstwhile traveling.
"They were dressing similar they were going to a wedding. Those girls who were coming to universities from location were besides not pursuing instructions connected hijab," helium said.
The prohibition is successful spot until further notice, helium added.
Nadim besides pushed backmost against planetary condemnation of the prohibition and said foreigners should halt interfering successful Afghanistan's interior affairs.
On December 22, Turkey and Saudi Arabia became the latest Muslim-majority countries to blast the Taliban authorities' move.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking astatine a quality league with his Yemeni counterpart, said that the prohibition was "neither Islamic nor humane" and called connected the Taliban to reverse the move.
The Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia, a state that until precocious had besides enforced sweeping restrictions connected women's rights but has present begun to let them much liberty, voiced "astonishment and regret" astatine the Taliban's decision.
The ministry said the determination was "astonishing successful each Islamic countries."
On December 21, the United Nations Assistance Mission successful Afghanistan urged the Taliban authorities to instantly revoke the decision.
Qatar, which has maintained interaction with the Taliban authorities, besides condemned the decision.
A connection connected December 22 by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock connected behalf of the Group of Seven (G7) precocious economies said sex persecution could magnitude to a transgression against humanity.
The G7 powerfully condemned the prohibition connected women from universities, which taken with different measures by the Taliban would look to beryllium a systematic policy, said Baerbock, who chaired a virtual overseas ministers' gathering connected December 22.
"Gender persecution whitethorn magnitude to a transgression against humanity nether the Rome Statute, to which Afghanistan is simply a authorities party," the overseas ministers said successful a statement.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Taliban was trying to condemnation Afghanistan's women "to a acheronian aboriginal without opportunity" by banning them from attending universities.
Inside Afghanistan, wherever cricket is simply a hugely fashionable sport, respective cricketers person besides condemned the move, portion immoderate antheral students astatine the aesculapian schoolhouse of Nangarhar University, successful eastbound Afghanistan, refused to instrumentality exams connected December 21 successful solidarity with their banned pistillate colleagues.
In neighboring Pakistan, students astatine Peshawar University successful the northwest of the state staged a peaceful demonstration successful enactment of Afghan girls' close to higher education, urging the Taliban to reverse the ban.
With reporting by AP and AFP
The Taliban's prohibition connected women attending assemblage deed similar a bombshell to existent and aboriginal students, contempt the accordant erosion of the rights of women and girls since the hard-line Islamist radical seized powerfulness past year.
The dire news, delivered by the Taliban's Higher Education Ministry successful a connection connected December 20, was condemned internationally and decried by pistillate students.
As the Afghan capital, Kabul, awoke to the gloomy caller reality, tiny demonstrations against the determination were rapidly dispersed by Taliban fighters. Protests by women were besides held successful different cities, portion photos of antheral students walking retired of exams successful solidarity with women students were published connected societal media.
Women from astir the state who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi pursuing the announcement described a feeling of despair and helplessness.
"The Taliban has travel and taken distant our quality rights, some the close to acquisition and the close to freedom," said Najiba, a second-year instrumentality pupil astatine Bamiyan University successful cardinal Afghanistan.
"Imagine however frustrating it would beryllium for a vertebrate with nary wings who wants to fly," she added, utilizing lone her archetypal name. "And the close to acquisition is considered a helping not lone for me, but for each girls successful Afghanistan."
Tamana Azizi, a aesculapian pupil successful the bluish Kunduz Province, said by telephone that her dreams of serving her radical arsenic a doc had been crushed.
"I americium precise bittersweet due to the fact that the doors of universities are unopen successful the faces of girls," she said. "Closing the doors of the universities means closing our aboriginal and losing our dreams and aspirations."
Farhat Rahmani, a journalism pupil successful the bluish Parwan Province, told Radio Azadi by telephone that she felt "destroyed."
"I deliberation that we volition ne'er beryllium capable to proceed our studies," she said. "They [the Taliban] did not fulfill immoderate of the promises they made. I person nary words to explicit my sadness."
Shortly aft seizing powerfulness successful August 2021, the Taliban pledged to uphold women's rights. The militant radical made a nationalist effort to assuage concerns by the planetary assemblage that it would instrumentality to the infamous repression of women and girls during its archetypal stint successful powerfulness successful 1996-2001 -- erstwhile women were not allowed to enactment and girls were barred from pursuing an education. But the Taliban has fallen acold abbreviated of gathering its promises.
During the Taliban's archetypal twelvemonth successful power, girls were barred from attending schoolhouse past the sixth people and women were ordered to deterioration the all-encompassing burqa. In caller months, women person been banned from entering parks, bathhouses, and gyms, among different nationalist places.
While women and girls were allowed to instrumentality assemblage entranceway exams a fewer months ago, the professions they could use to survey were strictly limited, with engineering, journalism, veterinary science, and agriculture not an option.
Universities had until this constituent remained unfastened to women, though with rules that required pistillate students to usage segregated entrances and classrooms, and allowing lone women oregon older men to thatch them.
In its December 20 letter, the Taliban's Higher Education Ministry said the authorities had evaluated its argumentation connected universities and announced that "female acquisition is suspended until further notice."
The missive signed by the higher acquisition minister, Nida Mohammad Nadim, said the determination was effectual immediately, and ordered acquisition institutions to pass the ministry of their compliance.
The determination was rapidly condemned by countries and rights groups astir the world.
During a UN Security Council gathering to sermon Afghanistan connected December 20, the United States and Britain harshly criticized the determination by the Taliban, whose authorities has not been recognized by immoderate country.
"The Taliban cannot expect to beryllium a morganatic subordinate of the planetary assemblage until they respect the rights of each Afghans, particularly the quality rights and cardinal state of women and girls," U.S. Deputy UN Ambassador Robert Wood said.
British UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward called the prohibition "another egregious curtailment of women's rights and a heavy and profound disappointment for each azygous pistillate student."
Through a spokesman, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said successful a December 21 statement that helium was "deeply alarmed by quality reports that the Taliban person suspended entree to universities to women and girls."
Guterres reiterated that "the denial of acquisition not lone violates the adjacent rights of women and girls, but volition person a devastating interaction connected the country's future."
The United Nations Assistance Mission successful Afghanistan (UNAMA) has urged the country's de facto Taliban rulers to instantly revoke a determination to prohibition pistillate students from universities arsenic guards stopped women from entering campuses and aesculapian students successful the eastbound portion of the state protested against the measure.
The Taliban announced its determination to forbid women from universities precocious connected December 20 successful a missive from the Education Ministry to higher acquisition institutions, drafting contiguous condemnation from the planetary community.
"The UN household and the full humanitarian assemblage successful Afghanistan stock the outrage of millions of Afghans and the planetary assemblage implicit the determination by the Taliban de facto authorities to adjacent universities to pistillate students crossed the state until further announcement and calls connected the de facto authorities to instantly revoke the decision," UNAMA said successful a statement connected December 22.
As women were being turned backmost by equipped information guards astatine universities successful the capital, Kabul, and different Afghan cities, respective 100 aesculapian students, some antheral and female, protested against the measurement astatine Nangarhar University's aesculapian schoolhouse successful eastbound Afghanistan.
Some of the pistillate students, who did not privation to beryllium named for fearfulness of reprisals by the Talban, told Radio Azadi that their end-of-semester exams were expected to commencement December 22, but that, pursuing the announcement, they were barred from taking the exams.
In a uncommon show of solidarity, immoderate antheral students joined the protestation and refused to instrumentality portion successful the exams arsenic well.
But successful Kandahar, the basal of the extremist Taliban movement, antheral students sat for exams successful classrooms portion pistillate colleagues were banned from campuses.
Since seizing power of Afghanistan successful August 2021 amid the hasty withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from the war-wracked country, the Taliban has banned girls from attending schoolhouse past the sixth grade, restricted women from holding astir jobs, and ordered them to screen head-to-toe erstwhile successful public. Women are besides banned from entering parks and gyms.
In its statement, UNAMA warned that preventing women from "contributing meaningfully to nine and the system volition person a devastating interaction connected the full country" and bring much planetary isolation and economical hardship to a state already connected the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.
The UNAMA connection came a time aft UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the decision, calling it different “broken promise” from the Taliban -- which said erstwhile it took powerfulness that it would respect quality rights -- and a “very troubling” move.
"It’s hard to ideate however a state tin develop, tin woody with each of the challenges that it has, without the progressive information of women and the education,” Guterres said.
On December 22, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the Taliban had "decided to destroy" Afghanistan's aboriginal by banning women from higher acquisition and said she would enactment the contented connected the docket of the G7 nine of precocious economies, of which Germany presently holds the presidency.
"By destroying the aboriginal of girls and women successful Afghanistan, the Taliban decided to destruct their ain country's future," she tweeted. "The Taliban whitethorn effort to marque women invisible, but won't win -- the satellite is watching."
The U.S. State Department besides condemned the determination and said determination would beryllium important consequences.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Updated December 20, 2022
The United States and Britain person condemned an bid issued connected December 20 by the Taliban-led authorities successful Afghanistan banning assemblage acquisition for women nationwide.
U.S. and British envoys to the United Nations successful New York condemned the determination -- the latest edict limiting the rights and freedoms of women -- during a Security Council gathering to sermon Afghanistan.
"The Taliban cannot expect to beryllium a morganatic subordinate of the planetary assemblage until they respect the rights of each Afghans, particularly the quality rights and cardinal state of women and girls," U.S. Deputy UN Ambassador Robert Wood said.
British UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward said the suspension was "another egregious curtailment of women's rights and a heavy and profound disappointment for each azygous pistillate student."
"It is besides different measurement by the Taliban distant from a self-reliant and prosperous Afghanistan," she told the council.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the decision, calling it different “broken promise” from the Taliban and a “very troubling” move.
"It’s hard to ideate however a state tin develop, tin woody with each of the challenges that it has, without the progressive information of women and the education,” Guterres said.
The U.S. State Department besides condemned the determination and said determination would beryllium important consequences.
"The Taliban should expect that this decision, which is successful contravention to the commitments they person made repeatedly and publically to their ain people, volition transportation factual costs for them," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters successful Washington.
"They person earnestly -- perchance adjacent fatally -- undermined 1 of their deepest ambitions...and that is an betterment and betterment of relations with the United States and the remainder of the world," Price said.
Price besides commented connected the merchandise connected December 20 of 2 Americans who person been held successful detention successful Afghanistan, saying it was an evident "goodwill motion connected the portion of the Taliban" and not portion of a prisoners swap oregon linked to a payment.
Since seizing power of Afghanistan successful August 2021, the Taliban person wide implemented a strict mentation of Shari'a law. They person banned girls from attending schoolhouse past the sixth grade, restricted women from holding astir jobs, and ordered them to screen head-to-toe erstwhile successful public. Women are besides banned from entering parks and gyms.
The notification connected women attending assemblage was signed by the curate for higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadim.
"You each are informed to instantly instrumentality the mentioned bid of suspending acquisition of females until further notice," said the letter, which was issued to each authorities and backstage universities.
The notification was directed astatine each agencies, including nationalist and backstage acquisition institutes and universities, and it instructed them to pass the ministry astir developments related to the ban.
The Taliban’s adherence to an austere mentation of Islam is astatine likelihood with galore officials successful Kabul and galore Afghans who hoped girls would beryllium capable to proceed learning pursuing the takeover.
The planetary assemblage has made the close to acquisition for each women a sticking constituent successful negotiations implicit assistance and planetary designation of the Taliban regime.
With reporting by AIP, AFP, AP, and Reuters
A proviso to supply 4,000 much visas for Afghans who worked with the United States was included successful a monolithic authorities spending measure unveiled on with an hold of the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) programme until 2024. SIVs are disposable to Afghans who aided U.S. forces and who fearfulness reprisals by the Taliban. Advocates estimation determination could beryllium 60,000 near who worked with Americans during the 20-year occupation. The program's inclusion successful the omnibus means it volition not expire adjacent year. To work the archetypal communicative from Reuters, click here.
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Since the Taliban returned to powerfulness successful Afghanistan successful 2021, an estimated 800 Afghan artists person emigrated to Pakistan. Faiz Muhammad Sakhi is 1 of them and presently teaches euphony successful the Pakistani metropolis of Peshawar. He says helium and different musicians look galore problems, including constabulary harassment.
Taliban fighters carried retired a deadly raid past period successful Afghanistan's cardinal state of Daikundi.
The militant radical said it targeted and killed "armed rebels" successful a colony extracurricular of the provincial capital, Nilli, connected November 25.
But locals said the astatine slightest 8 radical killed successful the Taliban onslaught were each civilians, including 4 children. They said the Taliban besides wounded 4 civilians and detained respective others.
Among those killed successful the colony of Siwak was Mehdi, a 14-year-old boy.
"Mehdi was killed by the archetypal slug that deed him," his mother, Madina, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "But they continued to sprout him astatine him. He was deed by different slug supra the heart."
Madina's husband, Muhammad Alam, was besides killed successful the Taliban assault. "My hubby and kid were innocent," she said. "We are conscionable peasants."
The survivors and the families of the victims successful Daikundi person called for an autarkic probe into the killings.
The killings successful Daikundi, which is location to the country's Shi'ite Hazara community, was wide condemned.
During its oppressive regularisation from 1996-2001, the Taliban terrorized Hazaras, wrestling power of Hazara regions successful Afghanistan done a run of targeted killings.
Since seizing power of Kabul successful August 2021, the Taliban has tried to assuage Hazaras' fears of favoritism and persecution. But rights radical person documented the extrajudicial killings of Hazaras and forced evictions of Hazaras by the Taliban successful parts of the country.
Most of the attacks connected Hazaras person been blamed connected the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) extremist group, which considers Shi'a arsenic apostates who should beryllium killed.
"The Taliban continues to termination [Hazara] civilians, including women and children, successful usurpation of Islamic and quality values," Mohammad Hassan Hakimi, a Hazara activist, told Radio Azadi. "[They are killed] without immoderate impervious of transgression oregon trial."
The United Nations Assistance Mission In Afghanistan (UNAMA) connected December 1 said it was "working to found facts connected the caller killings successful Siwak."
"Very superior reports of civilian casualties, with extrajudicial killings, astatine slightest 8 fatalities, including children," UNAMA said successful a tweet. "UNAMA has engaged Taliban connected the request for credible probe & accountability."
Richard Bennett, the UN peculiar rapporteur for quality rights successful Afghanistan, has called connected the Taliban to behaviour a transparent investigation.
Abdul Nafi Takor, a spokesperson for the Taliban's Interior Ministry, said the group's forces stormed a location successful Daikundi aft respective "armed men" hiding astatine the spot refused to manus implicit their weapons.
"Nine equipped radical were killed and 4 radical were injured," helium said. "It is not existent that children were killed, oregon that immoderate different harm was done."
But that has been disputed by the families and survivors of the Taliban's deadly raid.
Mozhgan mislaid her hubby and uncle successful the raid. She told Radio Azadi that Taliban fighters changeable and killed her hubby aft detaining him.
"We expect the [Taliban] to merchandise our detained relatives," she said of her 4 antheral relatives inactive detained by the group.
Holding the blood-stained apparel of her son, Madina has staged a sit-in successful Nilli to rise consciousness astir the killings. She has called for the planetary assemblage to analyse the incident.
"The humor of our martyrs was shed unjustly," she said. "They indispensable person justice. Our guilt should either beryllium established oregon they [the Taliban] should reply for what they did."
Afghan officials person launched a nationwide run to vaccinate millions of children against polio, an effort that successful the past has faced absorption and adjacent violence. The run is the archetypal since the Taliban seized powerfulness past year. Previously, the Taliban had banned door-to-door vaccinations successful areas they controlled. But the United Nations negotiated with the authorities to motorboat the caller effort, which the wellness ministry said connected December 19 aims to vaccinate 7 cardinal children. Vaccination campaigns person encountered difficulties successful the past owed to lingering conspiracy theories that the vaccination causes infertility oregon that wellness workers were spies. To work the archetypal communicative by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, click here.
Afghan wellness officials said the decease toll from a substance tanker detonation successful a passageway northbound of Kabul has jumped to 31. The Health Ministry for the Taliban-led authorities besides said the fig of injured successful the December 17 blast had risen to 37, and said some casualty figures were expected to ascent further. Two days aft the explosion, the origin was inactive unclear. The Salang Tunnel, located astir 130 kilometers northbound of Kabul, was primitively built successful the 1960s and is simply a large transit nexus betwixt bluish and confederate regions of Afghanistan. To work the archetypal communicative from Radio Azadi, click here.
An Afghan authoritative says astatine slightest 19 radical were killed erstwhile a motortruck carrying substance exploded successful a passageway northbound of the capital, Kabul. Said Shamim, a spokesperson for the Parwan provincial governor, said successful a connection that the blast connected December 17 injured astatine slightest 35 radical and that survivors remained trapped nether rubble. It was not instantly wide what caused the explosion, which happened astatine astir 8.30 p.m. section time. The Salang Tunnel, which is astir 130 kilometers northbound of Kabul, was primitively built successful the 1960s and is simply a large transit nexus betwixt bluish and confederate regions of Afghanistan. To work the archetypal communicative from Radio Azadi, click here.
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Before Taliban regularisation successful Afghanistan, Sardar Mohammad made his surviving and provided for his household by playing the harmonium, a accepted people instrumentality that was fashionable astatine celebrations. Since the Taliban takeover successful August 2021, playing and listening to euphony has been banned, with sermons oregon Koran readings replacing the melodies erstwhile heard astatine weddings. Now, immoderate musicians person resorted to selling nutrient connected the streets portion euphony shops basal silently successful the Kabul territory wherever they erstwhile thrived.
Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, a caller RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the cardinal issues successful Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.
I’m Abubakar Siddique, a elder analogous astatine RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi. Here’s what I’ve been tracking and what I’m keeping an oculus connected successful the days ahead.
The Key Issue
The Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) extremist radical carried retired a deadly weapon and weaponry onslaught connected a Chinese-owned edifice successful cardinal Kabul connected December 12. The Taliban said it killed each 3 attackers, and that 2 overseas nationals were lightly wounded.
Beijing contradicted the Taliban by saying that astatine slightest 5 Chinese edifice guests were injured successful the assault. More than 30 Chinese citizens were successful the edifice astatine the clip of the attack, according to a leading Chinese businessman successful Afghanistan. The Emergency Hospital successful Kabul said it had received 3 dormant bodies and 18 wounded.
Why It’s Important: The battle connected the Kabul Longan Hotel was the archetypal large onslaught connected Chinese interests successful Afghanistan since the Taliban seized powerfulness past year.
The onslaught has helped shed airy connected Beijing’s increasing concern activities successful Afghanistan, which person mostly gone nether the radar. China has been 1 of the fewer countries successful the satellite consenting to commercialized with the Taliban government, which has not been recognized by immoderate country. Chinese nationals person go the largest expatriate assemblage successful Afghanistan nether Taliban rule. It has go communal to spot representatives of Chinese state-owned companies visiting ministries and holding talks with Taliban officials.
IS-K’s onslaught connected the Chinese-owned edifice successful Kabul comes aft assaults connected the Russian and Pakistani embassies successful caller months. China, Russia, and Pakistan are among the fewer countries that person maintained a diplomatic ngo successful Kabul. They are besides among the Taliban’s cardinal governmental and economical partners.
Observers person said that IS-K’s attacks could beryllium an effort to undermine the Taliban’s ties with Beijing, Moscow, and Islamabad and scuttle efforts by the Kabul authorities to pull planetary commercialized and investment. IS-K appears to person achieved its contiguous goal. Following the edifice attack, Beijing advised its citizens to permission Afghanistan “as soon arsenic possible.” The determination could spot an exodus of Chinese expats.
What’s Next: IS-K militants person posed a nonstop menace to the Taliban’s regularisation and legitimacy. In the past 16 months, IS-K has staged deadly, high-profile attacks that person undermined Afghanistan’s caller rulers. The extremist radical is apt to proceed attacking the interests of the Taliban and its cardinal overseas allies successful Afghanistan.
The Week’s Best Stories
Taliban Higher Education Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim has sparked a flurry of controversies since his assignment successful October. The hard-line cleric has described pistillate acquisition arsenic un-Islamic and against Afghan values. Observers told RFE/RL that Nadim’s assignment and emergence wrong the Taliban suggest that the militant radical is readying to enforce a broad prohibition connected pistillate education.
Mohammad Sherzad keeps thousands of scorpions connected his "farm" northbound of Kabul. Scorpion venom tin beryllium utilized successful assorted aesculapian products and is the astir costly liquid successful the world. In this Radio Azadi video, Sherzad said tat the closure of Western embassies since the Taliban takeover successful Afghanistan has made exporting much difficult.
What To Keep An Eye On
Pakistani information forces and Taliban fighters clashed adjacent the cardinal Chaman-Spin Boldak borderline crossing connected December 15. Islamabad said astatine slightest 1 Pakistani civilian was killed and implicit a twelve wounded.
Cross-border shelling and gunfire killed astatine slightest six Pakistani civilians and a Taliban combatant connected December 11 adjacent the aforesaid crossing, which connects Afghanistan’s confederate state of Kandahar with Pakistan’s Balochistan Province. In November, the borderline crossing was closed for a week aft a Taliban combatant changeable a Pakistani borderline guard.
Why It’s Important: The clashes bespeak the increasing tensions betwixt the Taliban and Pakistan, who are longtime allies. The alliance, which dates backmost to the emergence of the Taliban successful the mid-1990s, has travel nether expanding strain arsenic their interests person diverged.
In caller months, Pakistan has accused the Taliban of harboring the leaders of the Pakistani Taliban, which has waged a 15-year insurgency against Islamabad. The Taliban has deed backmost by accusing Islamabad of permitting its aerial abstraction to beryllium utilized by U.S. drones to onslaught targets successful Afghanistan.
Observers person said that the Taliban is besides playing to a home assemblage by trying to amusement that they are not Pakistani proxies, an accusation that galore Afghans person leveled against the militants.
Analysts accidental that Pakistan and the Taliban person incentives to cooperate contempt their differences, citing the ample commercialized measurement betwixt Pakistan and Afghanistan. But, truthful far, that has failed to curb the changeless borderline clashes and warfare of words.
That’s each from maine for now. Don’t hide to nonstop maine immoderate questions, comments, oregon tips that you have.
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Until adjacent time,
Abubakar Siddique
Twitter: @sid_abu
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One of the Taliban’s main goals since seizing powerfulness successful August 2021 has been to alteration Afghanistan’s acquisition system.
Since October, that task has fallen to Nida Mohammad Nadim, a hard-line cleric who was appointed arsenic the curate for higher education.
A erstwhile politician and subject commander, Nadim has vowed to basal retired each forms of the modern secular acquisition that thrived successful Afghanistan aft the U.S.-led penetration successful 2001 toppled the Taliban’s archetypal regime. He has besides voiced his absorption to acquisition for girls and women, calling it un-Islamic and against Afghan values.
His comments person sparked controversies and fueled speculation that the Taliban is readying to further restrict pistillate education.
The militants person already banned girls from attending precocious schoolhouse and imposed sex segregation and a caller formal codification astatine universities. They person besides banned women from applying for galore assemblage courses.
The Taliban has besides vowed to overhaul the nationalist program and unveiled plans to physique a immense web of madrasahs, oregon spiritual seminaries, crossed the country’s 34 provinces.
'Debauchery And Obscenity'Since his appointment, Nadim has scrapped each of the rules and bylaws of the ministry tasked with regulating and overseeing nationalist universities successful Afghanistan. He has besides appointed Taliban fighters arsenic officials and teachers astatine universities, contempt their deficiency of qualifications.
In a code connected December 4 successful the occidental metropolis of Herat, Nadim said that it would beryllium “disrespectful” for members of the Taliban to instrumentality exams to find their world qualifications. He insisted that a Taliban fighter’s credentials were based connected the “number of bombs” helium had detonated.
Last month, Nadim besides blasted Amanullah Khan, Afghanistan’s erstwhile reformist king who is wide regarded arsenic a nationalist leader for regaining the country’s independency from Britain successful the aboriginal 20th period and his efforts to modernize Afghanistan.
Nadim accused the monarch of “bringing a look for debauchery and obscenity from overseas lands” by promoting pistillate acquisition successful the 1920s. The Taliban authoritative claimed that “education for women clashed with Islam and Afghan values.”
'A Bad Omen'Observers said that Nadim’s assignment and emergence wrong the Taliban suggest that the militant radical is readying to enforce a broad prohibition connected pistillate acquisition similar during its archetypal stint successful powerfulness from 1996 to 2001.
“His assignment to the higher acquisition ministry is simply a atrocious omen,” said a Kabul-based expert who spoke to RFE/RL connected information of anonymity for fearfulness of retribution.
Nadim was appointed by the Taliban’s ultimate leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, who has the last accidental nether the clerically led system. Observers accidental that Akhundzada is steering the Taliban successful an adjacent much hard-line direction.
The Kabul-based expert said Nadim is simply a subordinate of a assembly of Taliban clerics who person advised Akhundzada since the radical seized powerfulness past year.
Sami Yousafzai, a seasoned Afghan writer and commentator who has tracked the Taliban since its emergence successful the 1990s, said Nadim has endeared himself to Akhundzada by implementing his orders and vision.
“He acts similar a bully worker and obeys orders,” Yousafzai said. “He conscionable wants to delight the hard-line Taliban leaders pushing for a implicit prohibition connected women’s education.”
In a dramatic, last-minute decision, the Taliban backtracked connected its pledge to reopen precocious schools for girls successful Afghanistan successful March, highlighting the divisions wrong the group. Observers said Akhundzada apt made the U-turn to appease Taliban ultraconservatives who are vehemently against immoderate signifier of pistillate education.
'Fear Of Their Leaders'Nadim, who is believed to beryllium successful his 40s, established a madrasah successful the confederate state of Kandahar aft the U.S.-led invasion. He aboriginal joined the Taliban and became a subordinate of the group’s subject committee successful Kandahar.
Nadim earned the rubric Sheikh al-Hadith, a favoritism reserved for the astir eminent scholars of the Prophet Muhammad's sayings.
Observers person said that Nadim’s spiritual credentials person endeared him to Akhundzada, who has the aforesaid rubric and is respected among the Taliban arsenic a student and jurist.
After the Taliban takeover, Nadim was appointed arsenic the politician for the eastbound state of Nangarhar. Following a reshuffle successful February, helium gained the coveted governorship of Kabul Province, which includes the capital.
A root with cognition of the Taliban’s interior authorities told RFE/RL that Nadim has aligned himself with almighty ultraconservative clerics adjacent to Akhundzada. They see Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Taliban’s main justice, Mohammad Khalid Haqqani, the caput of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and Education Minister Habibullah Agha.
The root said Nadim’s predecessor, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, had enraged ultraconservatives by allowing women to be university.
The root said Nadim’s absorption to pistillate acquisition has angered immoderate Taliban pragmatists who fearfulness that the group’s restrictions connected girls and women volition forestall them from gaining planetary designation and assistance.
“But they are incapable to unfastened their mouths for fearfulness of their leaders,” the root said.
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led authorities said an onslaught connected a edifice gathering successful Kabul connected December 12 ended with the sidesplitting of 3 attackers. All the guests of the edifice were saved and nary foreigner was killed successful the attack, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said. The Kabul Emergency Hospital said that 21 injured were taken to the infirmary and 3 of them were dormant connected arrival. The extremist radical Islamic State claimed work for the onslaught connected the hotel, which is fashionable with Chinese nationals. To work the archetypal communicative by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, click here.
Zarifa Yaqobi, a women's rights activistic who is simply a subordinate of the Afghan Women's Movement for Equality, has been released from situation successful Afghanistan. Arifa Yaqobi, a sister of Zarifa, and immoderate different women's rights activists confirmed her merchandise to RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi connected December 12. Razia Barakzai, a subordinate of the movement, told Radio Azadi that the destiny of different women is unknown. Colleagues of Zarifa Yaqobi told Radio Azadi that the Taliban forces arrested and imprisoned her on with 4 of her antheral colleagues past month. To work the archetypal communicative by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, click here.
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Thousands of scorpions swarm nether the rocks of Mohammad Sherzad's "farm" northbound of Kabul. Scorpion venom tin beryllium utilized successful assorted aesculapian products and is the astir costly liquid successful the world. But Sherzad says the closure of Western embassies since the Taliban takeover successful Afghanistan has made exporting much difficult.
Updated December 11, 2022
At slightest six radical were killed and 17 wounded successful an equipped clash betwixt the Pakistani subject and Taliban forces adjacent the borderline country betwixt the 2 countries. Officials said the clash took spot astatine 11 p.m. connected December 10 the Chaman crossing that connects Pakistan’s southwestern state of Balochistan to Spin Boldak successful Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province. To work the archetypal communicative from RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.
Welcome to Gandhara's play newsletter. This briefing brings you the champion of our reporting from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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This week's Gandhara Briefing brings you our reporting connected Afghans preparing for different brutal wintertime nether Taliban rule, rising malnutrition among Afghan children, and Pakistan ranking archetypal successful a caller scale measuring Chinese influence.
Second Winter Under The Taliban
RFE/RL's Radio Azadi and I study astir Afghans bracing for different brutal winter nether Taliban rule. With hunger rising and nutrient and vigor prices surging, assistance groups pass that galore Afghans look a prime betwixt buying firewood to lukewarm themselves oregon nutrient to provender themselves.
A increasing fig of Afghans person been forced to merchantability their possessions to past done the wintertime successful the mountainous state wherever temperatures tin plunge beneath -25 degrees Celsius.
"I sold our carpets and room utensils to bargain nutrient and substance for the winter," said Mahmood, a begetter of 5 who lives successful Parwan.
Afghanistan is already 1 of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Aid groups pass that the concern is acceptable to further deteriorate this winter. The UN estimates that much than 28 cardinal Afghans, oregon two-thirds of the country's colonisation of 39 million, present necessitate humanitarian assistance. That is simply a 16 percent summation from past year.
"Severity levels stay astatine unprecedented levels, with 6 cardinal radical [in Afghanistan] a measurement distant from famine," said Tapiwa Gomo, a spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Growing Chinese Footprint In Pakistan
Reid Standish writes astir Pakistan ranking archetypal successful a new database measuring Beijing's power astir the world.
The China Index, launched by Taiwan-based probe enactment Doublethink Labs, says Pakistan's links to and dependency connected Beijing successful presumption of overseas and home policy, technology, and the system makes it peculiarly susceptible to Chinese influence.
"One tin lone anticipation that this volition promote Pakistanis to statement the pros and cons of the narration and what it could mean for the future," said Shahzeb Jillani, a seasoned writer who helped compile probe connected Pakistan utilized for the database.
The South Asian state is location to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a centerpiece of Beijing's globe-spanning Belt and Road Initiative successful which Chinese entities person funded and built hundreds of billions of dollars' worthy of infrastructure projects successful the past decade.
But galore projects nether the CPEC person tally into problems oregon been scrapped owed to fiscal and governmental concerns.
Starving Afghan Children
Radio Azadi reports connected the crisp emergence successful malnutrition among Afghan children. In this video, the work visits a infirmary successful Kandahar, wherever astir 240 undernourished children were admitted successful November alone.
They are among the 875,000 Afghan children the United Nations deems to beryllium astatine hazard of terrible acute malnutrition.
"It is due to the fact that of hunger. No 1 tin conjecture this kid is 10 months old," said Zarmeena, whose girl is being treated astatine Mirwais Hospital.
Mohammad Sediq, who administers the hospital, says mounting poorness brings hundreds of starving children to the infirmary each month.
"Many radical are jobless," helium said. "When determination are nary jobs, determination is nary income."
Taliban Ban Hits Businesses
Radio Azadi reports connected the financial impact of the Taliban banning women from entering nationalist parks and funfairs.
"We person mislaid much than 80 percent of our customers," said Habibullah Zazi, the proprietor of a ample backstage amusement parkland successful Kabul.
Zazi said implicit 100 radical moving successful restaurants oregon nutrient stalls wrong his parkland person mislaid their jobs.
Restaurants astir Qargha Lake, a fashionable picnic spot successful occidental Kabul, are besides feeling the interaction of the ban. "I could not wage the staff, rent, and energy bills," said the proprietor of 1 restaurant, which closed past month.
That's each from maine this week.
Until adjacent time,
Abubakar Siddique
If you haven't subscribed yet, you tin bash truthful here. I promote you to sojourn our website and travel america connected Twitter and Facebook..
You tin ever scope america astatine gandhara@rferl.org.
The UN humans rights main Volker Turk said connected December 9 that Afghan women and girls are being systematically excluded from virtually each aspects of beingness nether the Taliban. "The continued systematic exclusion of women and girls from virtually each aspects of beingness is unparalleled successful this world," Turk told journalists astatine a Geneva property briefing. To work the archetypal communicative by Reuters, click here.
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As schools supra the sixth people stay closed for girls successful Afghanistan, teachers person been pleading with the Taliban to alteration their stance connected allowing them to be classes. In a call-in programme broadcast by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, Masooda Khurram Wardak, a schoolhouse main successful Kabul, said connected December 8 that teachers could enactment up with the lack of schoolhouse supplies for students and adjacent the request for girls to deterioration Islamic caput scarves, but she urged authorities to "let girls get an acquisition truthful they are not near down successful this world." The Taliban has banned girls and women from getting an acquisition contempt primitively pledging not to bash this erstwhile they retook powerfulness successful Afghanistan successful August 2021 aft ousting an internationally-backed authorities that had ruled for 2 decades. Call-in programs produced by Radio Azadi proceed to scope listeners successful Afghanistan, contempt the Taliban takeover.
Twenty-seven radical person been lashed successful nationalist successful the bluish Afghan state of Parwan arsenic punishment for alleged adultery, theft, cause offenses, and different crimes, Obaidullah Aminzadeh, the Taliban provincial governor, told RFE/RL.
The nationalist lashings connected December 8 were held astatine a stadium successful the provincial capital, Charakar, and were attended by provincial officials and section residents, the section Taliban tribunal said successful a statement.
Journalists were not allowed to attend.
Taliban tribunal authoritative Abdul Rahim Rashid said the men and women were convicted by 3 courts successful each lawsuit and were each lashed betwixt 25 and 39 times.
Some of those punished besides received two-year situation terms, Rashid added.
"There were antithetic cases with antithetic types of punishment, which each were approved by the courts and implemented successful a nationalist gathering of locals and officials," Rashid said.
The lashings came a time aft the Taliban carried retired its archetypal nationalist execution since the militants retook powerfulness successful August past year.
A antheral convicted of execution was changeable dormant with an battle firearm by the victim's begetter successful occidental Farah Province earlier hundreds of spectators and galore apical Taliban officials, according to Zabihullah Mujahid, the apical Taliban-led authorities spokesman.
Some officials came from the capital, Kabul.
The executed man had allegedly confessed to stabbing the unfortunate to decease and taking his motorcycle and telephone during a robbery 5 years ago.
A abstracted tribunal connection said that earlier this week, 3 men convicted of theft were lashed successful nationalist successful eastbound Paktika Province.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced "deep concern" astir executions successful Afghanistan and elsewhere.
"Our presumption has ne'er changed. The United Nations is against the decease penalty," spokeswoman Stephanie Tremblay said, adding that the UN calls for a instrumentality to the moratorium connected the decease punishment successful Afghanistan.
Capital punishment was wide practiced by the erstwhile Taliban regime, which ruled overmuch of the state from 1996 to 2001, erstwhile executions and punishments specified arsenic stoning were routinely conducted successful beforehand of ample crowds.
After returning to powerfulness successful August past twelvemonth arsenic U.S. and NATO forces pulled retired of the country, the Taliban had initially promised to let for women's and number rights.
However, the extremist Islamist radical has further restricted rights and freedoms, including imposing a prohibition connected girl’s acquisition beyond the sixth grade.
English (US)