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In August 2021, the regular Afghan army, trained by Western forces and loyal to the government of Ashraf Ghani, quickly disintegrated in the face of the Taliban offensive. The Taliban, who had been overthrown by the U.S.-led invasion nearly two decades earlier, regained control of the country. Just hours after the capture of Kabul, the Taliban announced the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the reimplementation of Sharia law in its strictest interpretation.
Since then, the situation in the country has remained complex and contradictory. The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on human rights, particularly for women and girls, banning them from many forms of employment and access to higher education. The Islamic movement has also conducted a widespread censorship campaign, arresting and torturing journalists and activists, and introduced new regulations that further restrict women’s freedom of expression, even banning the public use of their voices. A new law was enacted. According to the Afghan Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue: “Inshallah, we assure you,” the ministry’s spokesperson stated, “that Islamic law will greatly aid in the promotion of virtue and the elimination of vice.”
The alleged “intimacy” of the female voice is used as a pretext to prevent women from holding public roles or participating in fields such as art or education. This new law effectively eliminates the possibility for women to return to politics, art, or teaching. Their reduction to silent and invisible “ghosts” is further reinforced by the prohibition of wearing light, tight, or short clothing and looking at men who are not husbands or close relatives. Additionally, women are required to cover themselves in the presence of non-Muslim men and women to avoid being “corrupted.”
Afghanistan’s already fragile economy further collapsed after the cessation of development aid by the United States, the World Bank, and other international donors. Over 90% of the Afghan population faces food insecurity and an increase in malnutrition-related diseases. According to the United Nations, a third of the nearly 40 million inhabitants survive on bread and tea, and unemployment is rampant. The already weak health a
In August 2021, the regular Afghan army, trained by Western forces and loyal to Ashraf Ghani’s government, quickly disintegrated in the face of the Taliban’s offensive. The Taliban, who had been ousted by the U.S.-led invasion nearly two decades earlier, regained control of the country. Just hours after taking Kabul, the Taliban announced the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the reinstatement of Shari’a law, in its most rigid interpretation.
Since then, the situation in the country has remained complex and contradictory. The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on human rights, particularly for women and girls, banning them from many forms of employment and access to higher education. The Islamic movement has also conducted a broad campaign of censorship, arresting and torturing journalists and activists, and introducing new regulations that further limit women’s freedom of expression, even banning the public use of their voices. A new law was enacted. According to the Afghan Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue: “Inshallah, we assure you,” the ministry’s spokesperson declared, “that Islamic law will be of great help in promoting virtue and eliminating vice.”
The alleged “intimacy” of the female voice is being used as a pretext to prevent women from holding public roles or participating in fields like art or education. This new law effectively eliminates the possibility for women to return to politics, art, or teaching. Their reduction to silent and invisible “ghosts” is further cemented by the ban on wearing light, tight, or short clothing and on looking at men who are not their husbands or close relatives. Additionally, women are required to cover themselves in the presence of non-Muslim men and women to avoid being “corrupted.”
Afghanistan’s already fragile economy collapsed further after the cessation of development aid from the United States, the World Bank, and other international donors. Over 90% of the Afghan population faces food insecurity and a rise in malnutrition-related diseases. According to the United Nations, one-third of the country’s approximately 40 million people live on bread and tea, and unemployment is rampant. The already weak healthcare and educational systems have been further debilitated by the lack of funds and the climate of terror imposed by the Taliban.
Despite this, the Taliban government has managed to maintain some control over the territory and has attempted to exploit the country’s mineral and agricultural resources, though hindered by weak infrastructure, a lack of expertise, and insufficient capital. Some improvements have been observed in tax collection and the reduction of corruption compared to the past, but these successes have not been enough to revive the economy.
Internationally, various actors, including Pakistan, Iran, China, and Russia, have established or resumed relations with the Taliban government, although often in a limited and ambiguous manner. China, in particular, has maintained an open diplomatic channel with Kabul, seeking to protect its strategic interests in the region. This pragmatic approach by some countries has raised concerns within the international community, fearing that such relations may further legitimize a regime accused of serious human rights violations.
Three years after the Taliban’s return to power, restrictions have intensified. The Taliban government has enacted many of the previously imposed restrictions into law, addressing issues such as the full veil for women and men’s clothing. The new regulations prohibit women from appearing in public without a male guardian and require them to cover themselves completely to avoid “temptation.” Additionally, the law bans the publication of images of living beings in the media and the playing of music, signaling the end of any informative activity.
International condemnations quickly followed. The United Nations expressed concern about the new law called “Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice.” “It is a distressing vision for the future of Afghanistan,” said Roza Otunbayeva, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, stressing that it is a law that “extends the already intolerable restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls.” Now, “even the sound of a female voice outside the home is apparently considered a moral violation,” Otunbayeva said in a statement released by her office in Kabul. The European Union shared this view, expressing dismay at the decree recently issued by the Taliban. “The decree confirms and extends the severe restrictions on the lives of Afghans imposed by the Taliban, including the imposition of dress codes, particularly ordering women to cover their bodies and faces in public. The decree also stipulates that women’s voices cannot be heard in public, effectively depriving Afghan women of their fundamental right to freedom of expression,” the statement read.
However, the international community is divided on how to address the issue, with some countries preferring to keep diplomatic channels open for strategic reasons, despite the ongoing human rights violations.
Afghanistan, which continues to be a zone of instability with potentially destabilizing consequences for the entire region, seems to have slipped to the bottom of the international community’s agenda, while other global crises, such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East, dominate world attention. However, the future of the country and its people remains shrouded in uncertainty, in a context of international isolation and severe human rights violations.
What is not possible for those who have always been beacons of civilization and freedom in the world is to stand by and watch a bloody regime subjugate its own children, especially its daughters. During the dreadful woke Paris Olympics, which insulted their own roots, there were extraordinary testimonies of resistance regarding Afghanistan from those who would like women to remain silent. This form of rebellion was expressed, of course, by Afghan athletes who had written “freedom for Afghan women” on their uniforms. A simple message to shine a light on those who are disappearing and dying in general silence. Needless to say, the IOC had absolutely nothing to do with the initiative and instead sanctioned the athletes. Apparently, politics in sports is acceptable only when it aligns with woke ideologies.
Where are the feminists? Where are the well-meaning people? Where is the left, which has always, only in words, been engaged in the fight for rights? Too busy with a new divisive and destructive ideology that has nothing to do with freedom of thought but, on the contrary, seeks to impose only one viewpoint.
The West must take a firm and unified stance in the face of these global challenges. The risk of ignoring what is happening in Afghanistan is that it will allow the consolidation of a regime that not only tramples on human rights but could also become a beacon for other extremist forces worldwide. We cannot afford to forget Afghanistan, not only for reasons of justice and human rights but also for international stability and security.
The West, however, seems divided, unable to find a common and adequate response to the emerging threats. The situation in Ukraine and the Middle East requires attention, but it should not divert attention from the Afghan crisis. Economic sanctions and diplomatic condemnations are not enough; a more articulated strategy and greater commitment are needed to support the Afghan people, especially the women, who continue to fight silently for their fundamental rights.
Europe, which has historically championed human rights, has a crucial role to play. It is time to reconsider policies and act with determination. If the West truly wants to defend the values of freedom and democracy, it must demonstrate this not only with words but with concrete actions that can influence the future of Afghanistan and prevent the country from falling definitively into the hands of the darkest fanaticism.