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A30 world news
Diamars 29 maart 2022

Taliban hard-liners turning back the clock in Afghanistan

this was not going to happen. the edicts — emerged from a run a country in the midst of
three-day meeting last week a humanitarian crisis and an
The United Nations has in the southern city of Kan- economy in free fall.
called the banning of interna- dahar, the birthplace of the
tional media broadcasts “an- Taliban. The Taliban leadership today
other repressive step against is different from the one-man
the people of Afghanistan.” They say the edicts stem rule of Mullah Mohammad
The website of the BBC from the demands of the Omar, the reclusive founder
Pashto service said it was “a Taliban’s hard-line supreme of the Taliban movement in
worrying development at a leader, Haibatullah Akhun- the mid-1990s who reigned
time of uncertainty and tur- dzada, who is apparently try- with a heavy hand. A divide is
bulence.” ing to steer the country back growing between some with-
to the late 1990s, when the in the old guard, who uphold
“More than 6 million Af- Taliban had banned women the harsh rule of the past and
ghans consume the BBC’s from education and public a younger generation of Tal-
independent and impartial spaces, and outlawed music, iban leaders who see a future
(AP) — Taliban hard- are off the air as of the week- journalism on TV every week television and many sports. of engagement with the in-
liners are turning back end. So are foreign drama and it is crucial they are not ternational community.
the clock in Afghanistan series. denied access to it in the fu- “The younger among the
with a flurry of repressive ture,” BBC World Services’ Taliban do not agree with The younger generation
edicts over the past days Since the Taliban seized con- head of languages Tarik Kafa- some of these edicts but they sees rights for both men and
that hark back to their trol of the country in mid- la said in a statement Sunday. are not comfortable contra- women, though still within
harsh rule from the late August, during the last cha- dicting the elders,” said Torek their interpretation of Islam-
1990s. otic weeks of the U.S. and On Monday, members of the Farhadi, an analyst who ic law — but one that allows
NATO pullout after 20 years Taliban vice and virtue minis- served as adviser to previous school for girls and women
Girls have been banned of war, the international com- try stood outside government Afghan governments. Far- in the workforce.
from going to school beyond munity has been concerned ministries, ordering male hadi, who has been in contact
the sixth grade, women are they would impose the same employees without tradition- with Taliban officials since “The younger Taliban need
barred from boarding planes strict laws as when they pre- al turbans and beards — seen their return to power, did not to speak up,” said Farhadi.
if they travel unaccompanied viously ruled Afghanistan. as a symbol of piety — to go elaborate.
by a male relative. Men and home. One employee who Still, Akhundzada has mod-
women can only visit public The latest assault on wom- was told to go home said he The more pragmatic among elled himself on Mullah
parks on separate days and en’s rights came earlier this didn’t know if and when he the Taliban are resisting the Omar, preferring to stay in
the use of mobile telephones month, when the all-male would be able to return to edicts — or at least silently remote Kandahar, far from
in universities is prohibited. and religiously driven Taliban work. He spoke on condition ignoring them, Farhadi said. the eyes of the public, rather
government broke its prom- of anonymity, fearing for his than rule from the Afghan
It doesn’t stop there. ise to allow girls to return to safety. Since their takeover of the capital of Kabul. He also ad-
school after the sixth grade. country, the Taliban have heres to Pashtun tribal mores
International media broad- The move stunned much of According to a senior Taliban been trying to transition — traditions where women
casts — including the Pashto the world — and many in Af- official and Afghans familiar from insurgency and war to are hidden away and girls are
and Persian BBC services, ghanistan — especially after with the Taliban’s leader- governing, with the hard-lin- married off at puberty.
which broadcast in the two the Taliban had given all “the ship, the push to return to ers increasingly at odds with
languages of Afghanistan — necessary assurances” that the past — which resulted in the pragmatists on how to

Ethiopia urged to uphold press freedom and release reporter

(AP) — Ethiopia is being to release Kiyaro and oth- of expression and the press,
urged to uphold its inter- er journalists, according to Federal police inspector Tes- “Journalists should not be UNESCO has an initiative to
national commitments to Schiff and Scanlon. faye Olani has told state me- penalized for carrying out educate judges on these issues
the freedoms of expres- dia the journalists violated their legitimate activities,” it and legal precedents. More
sion and the press by re- Kiyaro, 30, a video journalist the state of emergency law states. than 23,000 judges from 150
leasing journalists it has accredited to The Associated and Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism countries, including Ethio-
imprisoned. Press, was detained Nov. 28 law, and the violations could The African Union and its pia, have participated in the
in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis lead to sentences of seven to African Commission on Hu- training program, according
Two lawmakers in the U.S. Ababa, under the country’s 15 years behind bars. man and Peoples Rights have to Guilherme Canela, chief
Congress — Reps. Adam war-related state of emer- similar provisions that com- of UNESCO’s freedom of
Schiff of California and Mary gency powers. The state of However, the U.N. Human pel member states to uphold expression and safety of jour-
Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania emergency was lifted in Feb- Rights Committee, when in- freedom of the press. nalists section.
— have joined press freedom ruary as the government cit- terpreting the International
advocates in calling for the ed changing conditions in the Covenant of Civil and Po- To encourage judicial rul- Ethiopia should honor its in-
immediate release of jour- deadly conflict between Ethi- litical Rights, which Ethiopia ings that uphold these com- ternational commitments by
nalist Amir Aman Kiyaro, opian forces and those of the has ratified, specifically stated mitments to the freedoms releasing Kiyaro, Schiff said.
who has been held for four northern Tigray region. The that journalists should not be
months without charges. Ethiopian government last imprisoned for interviewing
week declared a “humanitar- a member of a group classi-
Kiyaro’s continued deten- ian truce” in the war-ravaged fied as terrorist.
tion is due to be reviewed in Tigray region.
court Tuesday, when the state “The media plays a crucial
must formally charge him or Ethiopian state media, cit- role in informing the public
release him, according to the ing federal police, have said about acts of terrorism and
judge in the case. Kiyaro is accused of “serving its capacity to operate should
the purposes” of what they not be unduly restricted,”
Ethiopia, which has adopted called a terrorist group by says the committee’s decision
the U.N.’s Universal Decla- interviewing its officials. Lo- further explaining the reach
ration of Human Rights and cal journalist Thomas Engida of the covenant’s relevant
as a member of the African was arrested at the same time section in paragraph 46 on
Union, should be obliged and faces similar charges. press freedom.