RASC News Agency: The Afghanistani Women’s Freedom Movement has called for a boycott of the third Doha meeting, condemning it as a “deal with terrorism.” In their statement, the movement declared, “The Taliban regime is an apartheid regime with no connection to the social fabric, popular forces, or civil society of Afghanistan.”
These protesting women assert that seizing power and occupying the political system does not equate to gaining popular legitimacy, and they refuse to allow the Taliban to speak on their behalf to the world. The Afghanistani Women’s Freedom Movement further contends that the Taliban do not represent the reality of Afghanistan and must unconditionally submit to the collective will and demands of the Afghanistani people.
The movement warns the international community, especially the United Nations, that any deal with the Taliban is a betrayal of all modern human and civil rights values, which form the ethical and political foundations of the UN, human rights, and all contemporary humanitarian principles. The statement reads, “We boycott any meeting aimed at dealing with the Taliban and urge the UN and nations to shift their dialogue from the Taliban to the Afghanistani people and strive to fulfill the real and humane aspirations of the Afghanistani populace.”
The movement emphasizes that the United Nations and its member states have a duty to recognize and criminalize “gender apartheid in Afghanistan.” The protesting women also call on the UN and the world to pressure the Taliban to meet the demands of the Afghanistani people. This development follows Human Rights Watch’s earlier statement that the UN has largely removed women’s rights from the agenda of the third Doha meeting.
The United Nations is set to host the third Doha meeting on Afghanistan in six days, with the participation of special envoys from various countries. However, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, stated on Sunday, June 23, that human rights and women’s rights will be part of the Doha meeting’s agenda.
