Taleban Promised 'Respect for Human Rights'... But Shot Women and Fired on Protesters (Summary)

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] Although the Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan, declared respect for human rights and the formation of an open and inclusive government, brutal acts have already been occurring. Incidents such as shooting women who did not follow Islamic dress codes and firing at protesters have taken place.

On the 18th, Fox News released a photo showing a woman covered in blood dead in the city of Taloqan, the capital of Takhar Province, Afghanistan, with her parents and those around her at a loss. Fox News reported that the woman was shot and killed after going out without a burqa.

During their previous five-year rule (1996?2001), the Taliban deprived women of educational and work opportunities and mandated wearing the burqa when going out.

Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shahin stated in an interview with the UK’s Sky News on the 17th that women would be required to wear a hijab (a headscarf covering the head and neck) instead of a burqa. He also said that women would be able to receive education, including university, under Taliban rule. He promised to respect women's human rights and show a changed image.

However, skepticism prevails regarding whether the Taliban have truly changed. Human rights organizations said that Taliban regulations vary depending on local commanders and regions.

Reports also emerged that in another city, the Taliban threatened a woman who went out to buy groceries without covering her body with a burqa and forced her back home. Indian media outlet India Today reported that the price of burqas in Kabul surged tenfold after the Taliban's return.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the same day, in Jalalabad, the capital of the eastern Nangarhar Province, the Taliban also fired shots at protesters. The protesters were reportedly carrying large national flags and demanding the restoration of the original flag. The Taliban have been replacing the previous government’s flag with their own symbolic flag since taking control of Afghanistan.

According to local Pajhwok Afghan News and others, Taliban members fired at protesters in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar Province, on that day. Russian Sputnik News reported that two people were killed and twelve injured in the shooting. Although the Taliban pledged to protect the lives and property of the people and form an open government after occupying Afghanistan, brutal incidents are reportedly occurring on the ground.

In central Afghanistan’s Bamyan Province, a statue of Hazara leader Abdul Ali Mazari was shattered by the Taliban. Mazari was a figure who lost his life fighting against the Taliban, who were expanding their power in the mid-1990s. Afterward, a statue was erected in his hometown, but the Taliban destroyed it.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.