THE STREAM/ ARIELLE DEL TURCO-
In a bold act of defiance against the Taliban, hundreds of Afghan women took to the streets of Kabul last Tuesday morning, demanding that the Taliban respect their rights. Taliban fighters beat them with sticks and rifles in response. Validating the fears of Afghan women’s rights activists, the Taliban seems to be showing its true colors after initially attempting to reassure the world it would respect human rights.
This is happening as President Biden denounces the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to leave a Texas pro-life law — that protects an unborn child from abortion after a heartbeat is detected — in place and touts his own concern for women’s rights. In a statement, Biden said the situation in Texas is an example of why he decided to create a Gender Policy Council “to be prepared to react to such assaults on women’s rights.”
Biden can pretend to care about women’s rights, but that’s rich coming from the president who just triggered the most significant women’s rights crisis of our time in Afghanistan.
Taliban Spokesman Warned That Women Should Stay Inside Their Homes
In the 1990s, the Taliban regime was notoriously oppressive for women and girls. With President Biden’s ineptly managed withdrawal and the Taliban’s sudden return, women have been sent back to the dark ages of Taliban rule. Many young women and girls who grew up in a democratic Afghanistan will be experiencing those dark ages for the first time. Continue reading…
