More than three weeks after taking power in Afghanistan, the Taliban presented their interim government on Tuesday night, but their political agenda is still unclear.
Supreme Leader Haibitullah Ahunjada in a rare public appearance on Tuesday insisted that the Taliban government would impose sharia, Islamic law.
Afghanistan: Women’s rights
This is an issue that is increasingly being addressed by the international community, and addressing it may be a precondition for the international community to recognize the Taliban government and continue to provide financial assistance to Afghanistan.
During the first Taliban rule in Afghanistan (1996-2001) the women had disappeared from public space.
But this time the Islamists keep repeating that women’s rights will be respected under Sharia.
They also announced that Afghans will be able to study at the university, but in rooms where there will be no men and provided that they wear abaya (the long, traditional costume) and niqab (the black scarf that covers the whole face except the eyes). ). But they will also be able to work “respecting the principles of Islam.”
Under the previous regime, women were not allowed to work or study with rare exceptions.
The absence of women in the caretaker government, however, is a bad omen.
It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
Type
The Taliban have assured reporters, including women, that they will be able to continue to work freely and that they will not be harassed.
“We respect the freedom of the press because the information will be useful to society and at the same time allow officials to correct their mistakes,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
For now it remains to put their words into practice. Many journalists have already fled Afghanistan, while others remain hidden in their homes for fear of retaliation.
Some were briefly detained on the sidelines of recent anti-Taliban protests.
Mujahid called on the media “not to cover” the demonstrations, which he described as “illegal”.
civilization
The first Taliban regime in the 1990s had imposed a stricter version of sharia, banning theater, television, music and photography.
“Music is banned under Islam, but we hope to persuade Afghans not to do certain things, instead of forcing them to do so,” Mujahid told the New York Times.
Residents and members of the ousted government, however, accused the Taliban of killing a traditional music singer in Andarab in late August, an unconfirmed report.
As for Afghanistan’s cultural heritage, a source of concern after the destruction of Buddha statues in Bamiyan in 2001, the Islamist movement has not made any announcements since February, when it said it would preserve it.
Economy
This is one of the biggest and most immediate challenges facing the new regime. Afghanistan’s economy has collapsed due to decades of war, and the suspension of international aid threatens to plunge the country into economic and social disaster.
The Taliban’s agenda remains very unclear at the moment. “Contacts with the international community and other countries will continue,” his spokesman said.
“We will work to develop our natural resources to advance our economy, to rebuild us, to our prosperity,” he added, without elaborating.
It is not yet known whether the Taliban have secured the necessary resources to pay civil servants and maintain basic infrastructure (water, electricity, telecommunications).
The Taliban’s current revenue comes mainly from criminal activities, with the UN estimating that amount to range from $ 300 million to more than $ 1.5 billion a year.
Security / drugs
The Taliban have warned that any insurgency will be suppressed “very violently”, a message sent to resistance forces in Pansir province. They also assured that they will dismantle the local branch of the Islamic State, which is a great threat, without giving any details.
As for drugs, Mujahideen said Afghanistan’s new authorities would not turn the world’s largest opium producer into a narco-state.
“We assure our compatriots and the international community that we will not produce drugs,” he said.
Sport
The previous Taliban government had allowed some sports, but under strict rules: only men could participate in them or watch matches.
In an interview with Australian television network SBS, Afghan official Ahmadullah Wasik said women would not be allowed to exercise because “it is not necessary” and because there is a risk of exposing their bodies.
“They may face a situation in which their bodies and face will not be covered,” he said. “Islam does not allow women to look this way.”
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