RASC News Agency: The Journalist Protection Organization of Afghanistan has condemned the Taliban’s ban on broadcasting women’s voices on radio stations in Kandahar, denouncing it as blatant discrimination and a deliberate effort to silence half of Afghanistan’s population. The Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture has issued a directive ordering all radio stations in Kandahar to immediately cease airing female voices. Earlier, the Afghanistan Journalists Center reported that the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture had not only prohibited the broadcasting of women’s voices but also mandated that all media outlets refer to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada as “His Excellency, the Commander of the Faithful, May God Protect Him.”
In response, the Journalist Protection Organization of Afghanistan issued a statement condemning the decision, asserting: “These measures, which severely restrict freedom of expression and further erode press freedom, constitute a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of journalists and independent media.” The organization reaffirmed its unwavering support for media professionals, particularly female journalists, and called on international organizations to take decisive and effective action against these escalating restrictions. Since reclaiming power, the Taliban has systematically dismantled press freedoms, imposing draconian restrictions on media outlets and journalists. According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center, within just one year, 122 instances of threats, 22 media shutdowns, and 50 journalist detentions were documented.
The Taliban’s broader agenda appears to be the systematic suppression of diverse voices in Afghanistan, seeking to establish a patriarchal, monolithic society where women are confined to their homes, and only Taliban-approved rhetoric is permitted. On a larger scale, the group aims to consolidate ethnic and political dominance, ensuring that one ethnic group retains absolute control over Afghanistan’s political, cultural, and economic affairs while silencing all dissenting voices.
