Since the Taliban swept back to power in Afghanistan in August, they have been enforcing their fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. In spite of trying to rebrand as more moderate, the group has imposed a slew of restrictions that revoke the liberties that Afghan women have won through a history of struggle and activism, and unravel the gains made over the past two decades. Most secondary schools for girls were closed, and women were prohibited from working in most government jobs and many other areas. The Taliban beat and detained journalists; many media outlets closed or drastically scaled back their reporting, partly because many journalists had fled the country. The new Taliban cabinet included no women and no ministers from outside the Taliban’s own ranks. Last week the United nations asked donors for $4.4 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan in 2022 to ensure the country’s future after a period of turmoil marked by the Taliban’s seizure of power. The U.N. says the appeal, which amounts to nearly a quarter of the country’s GDP, is the largest ever sought for a single country and is triple the figure it received in 2021 when the U.S.-backed government collapsed. Western sanctions aimed at the Taliban also prevented the passage of basic supplies of food and medicine, although this has since eased. Welcome to ‘COST OF PEACE: Taliban Style’
Scott Mc Kiernan, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ZUMA Press
ZUMAland.com 