widthWhen their fighters advanced to the outskirts of Kabul on Sunday, they made an effort TalibanShow yourself as a gentle, disciplined force. The extremists declared that soldiers of the Afghan army should return home undisturbed. Foreigners can leave the city or register with the Taliban’s “administrative department”. Their own fighters are not allowed to celebrate their victory with gun salvos in the air. They were instructed to stand by on the road to Kabul “until a peaceful and satisfactory transfer of power is reached.”
The Taliban stated that emergency aid organizations as well as airports and hospitals can continue to work unhindered.Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said on the radio British Broadcasting CorporationThe residents of Kabul can rest assured that “there will be no retaliation against anyone.” However, many people in Kabul did not believe the Islamists and tried desperately to go to the airport or other ways to get out of the city.
Cruel reports from provincial capital cities
In the past few days, brutal videos and reports have infiltrated Kabul in the capital cities occupied by the Taliban. People talk about murder, whipping, and amputated hands. In one case, a woman was said to have been shot and killed in the street for improper dressing. Such reports are difficult to verify. Rumors of the Taliban forcibly marrying young women to their fighters have caused a lot of commotion. The corresponding laws and regulations circulating on the Internet are obviously forged. In any case, videos and rumors spread fear and terror.
It can be speculated that this is exactly the purpose, to weaken the morale of the enemy and the people’s trust in the government. In addition, the Taliban have controlled many regions in the past few years, which shows that this is a heterogeneous movement, taking different actions according to different regions. It seems to be the same now: In Kunduz, the Taliban called on international aid organizations to continue their work. According to witnesses, the frightened employee obtained a permit to enter the office.
Is willingness to negotiate just an excuse?
The question is: what does Afghanistan look like under the Taliban? If the time of the Islamic Emirate from 1996 to 2001 is used as a measure, then for women and girls, journalists, human rights activists, and the Shiite minority in Hazara, the dark age is coming. At that time, women were only allowed to work in public with their male companions, and were only allowed to engage in selected occupations. Today, the Constitution of the Afghan Parliament guarantees women’s participation in politics, which was unthinkable at the time. Girls are not allowed to go to school. The suspected adulterer was stoned to death. Virtue guards patrolled the streets. Music and movies are banned. However, even then, there were still various factions in the Taliban and the region trying to provide education for girls.
