The Taliban’s stunning takeover of Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, was an immense shock to nations around the world. In a matter of weeks, 20 years of history have been reversed at a pace nobody might have anticipated. Just days after the U.S. military pulled out of Afghanistan, the Taliban took control of key cities and installed themselves in the presidential palace in Kabul – in spite of thousands of U.S. troops and enormous assets. Although the Taliban’s recent detente with the Afghan people, the terror and fear are still evident in their eyes and an urgent debate is centered on how they will treat women. Even before the Taliban’s takeover, there was an explicit debate in the international media and organizations like the United Nations (UN) about the imminent danger posed by the Taliban’s rule to women’s rights in Afghanistan. Therefore, the Taliban’s takeover is just like a Tom and Jerry game. And for Afghan women, this game is harrowing.
The religion of Islam obligates its followers to respect the rights of women and children. There are specific provisions in Islam that define the rights of women in areas such as marriage, divorce, education, property rights, etc. Considering the Taliban’s historical records on human rights, they came to power in 1996; their interpretation of Islam was too rigid to be endorsed even by Islamic countries. Only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates recognized their rule, while internationally they were condemned for the massacres and brutal treatment of Afghan civilians.
The Taliban’s rule was identified by the enforcement of the harsh form of Shariah Law, which they believed was in the best interest of women, but in reality, this was devoid of any respect for human rights in general and women’s rights in particular. The assault on the prestige of women instantly began after they came to power. Their rule was barbaric and autocratic. They brought engendered radicalism in their society regarding women’s rights. Women had virtually no rights; they were denied education and employment and were forced to comply with strict dress codes. Full-face covering became mandatory in public, and women were not allowed to leave their homes without a male relative. Their freedom was curtailed for ages. On the whole, society was influenced by this semi-fundamentalist militia, who did their utmost to brutalize and punish those who did not obey their edicts.
As of now, it seems like the behavior of today’s Taliban has changed over the last two decades; rather, they now appear to be more disciplined, experienced, and vigilant. According to H.A. Hellyer, a senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Policy in Brookings, today is “a completely new situation,” so things are expected to be different. He added that “The Taliban will be dealing with a new Afghanistan compared to the one of the 90s, with different roles that already apply to women and other groups.”
Apparently, the Taliban says it has changed as it is preparing to lead the country again.
It seems that the past has served as a template for the Taliban group, and they are trying to present themselves as more moderate than they were in the 1990s by improving society economically, socially, and politically, but within the boundaries set by Islamic Shariah.
At their first press conference in Kabul, the Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, was asked by a female journalist, “There are many concerns about women being allowed to work, about girls being able to continue to go to school. What assurances can you give to women and girls that their rights will be protected?” To which he replied, “The Islamic Emirate is committed to women’s rights under Sharia law. Our women have equal rights; they will work shoulder to shoulder with us. We want to assure the international community that there will be no discrimination against women, but, of course, within our religious framework.” The Taliban have granted amnesty to those who have collaborated with foreigners earlier and have called on women and other minorities to join their government. Barely 24 hours after the Taliban took power, a brave female journalist returned to the anchor’s desk in her studio and interviewed a Taliban spokesman.
Apparently, after years of war, trust is hard to come by. Millions of Afghans who lived through the 1990s Taliban regime remember the Taliban’s tough governing rules. The women of Afghanistan are terrified; they are not induced by the Taliban’s assurances. Many women now stay indoors, afraid to go out again; women lawmakers fear for their lives. Women journalists fear that they may be targeted by the Taliban. An Afghan journalist, Gulalai Karimi, said in an interview that it is quite tense in the government these days; we do not want to lose the rights we have earned over the last two decades.
Whereas, we can see various events in the country reported by the BBC and CNN female journalists wearing a burqa without being abused, injured, or stopped, which shows that the Taliban respects the Islamic dress code of women while allowing them to work and educate themselves unrestricted. It seems that the past has served as a template for the Taliban group, and they are trying to present themselves as more moderate than they were in the 1990s by improving society economically, socially, and politically, but within the boundaries set by Islamic Shariah.
Yet, people continue to wonder if this is the case for real. Many Afghans and world leaders are skeptical because if we analyze through the lens of instrumentalism, it propounds that elites manipulate and politicize situations and use them as instruments to achieve their goals. So, by bringing about these changes, it seems like the Taliban are trying to legitimize their rule. Public legitimacy is important to hold on to for an extended period. Thus, legitimacy is the most important thing for them to rule right now, because they can’t go against people who, having lived through democracy, are quite hard to be governed. Also, this time they want broader recognition from the international community, which they lacked previously in the 1990s.
The world expresses concerns over the changed behavior of the Taliban towards women, with apprehensions that the leniency towards women may just be a tactic to normalize their estranged relations with the global community.
Afghan women, who had never known an Afghanistan under Taliban rule, reckoned with what this new era meant for their own lives. What comes next for women in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover?
Thus, only the days ahead can truly reveal what will and will not prevail in Afghanistan, especially about women. Although the Taliban have asserted the freedom of women as per Islamic rules, in reciprocal to that, they have banned girls from taking education jointly with boys. Female lecturers would be allowed to teach only female students, but not male ones, describing it as the “root of all evils in society”. Still, there remains a ubiquitous fear that they will reinstate their infamous system of gender segregation that prevailed in the late 1990s.
Experts suggest that Afghan women will push forward no matter what. The only question is how bad it will get for them: Will the Taliban go back to beating women with sticks who would resist and challenge the status quo? Will they force girls to marry Taliban fighters? Will they forbid them from going to work or school, college or university? Will they jail women who break their rules?
Right now, the answer seems to be no, because the Taliban 2.0 understands the demands of the 21st century. If they want to develop their relations with the international community and earn recognition, delivering on human rights is inevitable. If they repeat and follow the same strategy they followed two decades ago, then besides a tragic end to the freedom of Afghan women, the Taliban will find it hard to run longer in Kabul and offset the multipronged socioeconomic, political, and security challenges in the days to follow. Therefore, we can only hope that sanity among the Taliban will prevail and Afghan women will continue to have a bright future under a Taliban-led inclusive government.
