RASC News Agency: As the third anniversary of Afghanistan’s transfer to Taliban rule approaches, a coalition of academics, exiles, female protesters, activists, and independent civil society members from around the globe has issued a statement denouncing the Taliban. According to their declaration, the Taliban regime is fundamentally based on apartheid and bears no relation to Afghan society, its realities, or the demands of the civil society.
The coalition asserts that the Taliban rule through force and that under their regime, the Afghanistani people live in persistent unrest. They describe the Taliban as a savage group and label August 15th as a dark day in the nation’s history. The authors of the statement argue that any engagement with this group, under the pretense of “negotiation,” constitutes a blatant deal with war criminals, perpetrators of crimes against humanity, enforcers of gender apartheid, and sworn enemies of the Afghanistani people and fundamental human values such as justice, dignity, and freedom.
The coalition underscores that the Taliban are criminals and should not be engaged in negotiations. Their statement calls upon all “global citizens, awakened consciences, and progressive movements both regionally and globally” to join the August 15th protests in solidarity with the Afghanistani people and their demands for justice. It further highlights that, for three years, women and sexual minorities have been systematically excluded from public life and dehumanized. The systemic discrimination imposed on women and sexual minorities by the Taliban constitutes a clear example of gender apartheid, which the United Nations is obligated to recognize.
The statement also notes that the United Nations and human rights organizations involved in Afghanistan issues possess ample documentation to substantiate the Taliban’s crimes and must condemn them accordingly. The coalition denounces the Taliban as terrorists and asserts that Afghanistan has been plunged into misery under their rule. They urge institutions, organizations, and countries to refrain from negotiating with the Taliban.
