"Femihaera in Afghanistan lol" Woman mocks using 'Afghan Sorrow'... Is gender conflict escalating?

Comments Mocking Korean Women on Article About Afghan Women's Human Rights Violations
"Women from our country should go to places like that to do feminist activism"
"Those who advocate feminism should marry Muslims," mocked

Afghan women and children who fled from the Taliban. Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "Korean women, be careful or you will end up like Afghan women," "Malicious comments exploiting Afghan sorrow"

Comments on domestic articles reporting the situation in Afghanistan, which is controlled by the armed Taliban group, include criticisms directed at Korean women, causing disapproval. It is pointed out that the horrific suffering and human rights violations of Afghan women are being used to deliver a kind of lecture or malicious comments toward domestic women.

For example, comments like "If Korean women don't get their act together, they will end up like Afghan women." There is criticism that an unexpected gender conflict is arising domestically over the Afghan situation.

Major foreign media are simultaneously reporting the current news from Afghanistan. However, comments on domestic articles reporting this news often include not only content related to Afghanistan but also easy-to-find criticisms of Korean women.

According to the American daily The Wall Street Journal on the 16th (local time), a female politician reported that Taliban members raided her home, disarmed her bodyguards, and prevented her from going outside. The New York Times (NYT) and others reported that the Taliban are forcing women in occupied areas to wear burqas that cover their entire bodies when going out.

According to France24, there are reports that the Taliban are going from house to house in an occupied area, compiling lists of unmarried women aged 12 to 45 to forcibly marry them to their members, as well as lists of women who have lost their husbands.

Islamic militant Taliban soldiers, who have taken control of Afghanistan, pose for photos holding American-made weapons such as M16 rifles in the capital Kabul on the 18th (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ "Go there and do feminist activism" Korean women criticized in foreign reports on Taliban's human rights violations

Some domestic netizens who encountered news about Afghan women being brutally trampled by the Taliban mocked in article comments, saying, "Those who claim feminism should marry Muslims. They will treat you better than Korean men. Be sure to visit your husband's hometown after marriage."

Another netizen said, "Korean women should watch carefully. If the system changes to communism, they will be used for leftist propaganda and agitation like that." Another netizen also said, "If Korean women went to such places and did feminist activism, women's rights would be advanced, wouldn't they?"

In response to such netizen comments, one user criticized, "Instead of sympathizing with Afghan women who are in a difficult situation, using it to intimidate women is so low that it is no different from the despicable Afghan men who mocked their fellow women mentioned in the article."

Citizens who encountered such news sighed. It is pointed out as despairing that domestic gender conflicts are occurring even over the horrific human rights violations of women in Afghanistan.

A company employee in their 30s, Mr. Kim, said, "The comments on articles reporting the situation of Afghan women are somewhat pathetic," adding, "I hope there will be productive discussions on ways to help them."

A female university student in her 20s, Ms. Lee, said, "I just think they are hateful comments," pointing out, "Gender conflicts are not new, but this seems a bit too much."

After the collapse of the Afghan regime, the Taliban, having effectively declared victory by taking control of the capital Kabul, the scene on the afternoon of the 19th shows a quiet street in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, in front of the Seoul Central Mosque of Islam.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ "Over 90% of sexual minorities and disabled people have experienced hate speech online" Hate speech continues to increase

As citizens pointed out, this kind of online hate speech conflict continues to increase. Following the 2016 Gangnam Station incident, the 2018 Yemeni refugee application controversy in Jeju Island, and the Queer Culture Festival, hate speech surged, prompting the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) to take measures.

In 2019, the NHRCK emphasized in its hate speech report that "hate speech has become normalized, and there is a need for concern and countermeasures against the spread of hate speech."

There are concerns that such hate speech could lead to actual crimes. According to a 2017 hate speech survey (NHRCK), 84.7% of sexual minorities and 70.5% of disabled people expressed fear of being criticized because they are women, sexual minorities, disabled, or immigrants, worrying that it could escalate beyond criticism to hate crimes. In particular, over 90% of sexual minorities and disabled people reported experiencing hate speech online.

On the 10th (local time), the Taliban planting a flag in Parasi, Farah Province, western Afghanistan. Photo by AP Yonhap News

◆ "Active response is necessary" If hate speech continues, it becomes mainstream voices

Experts suggest that active responses are necessary to prevent the expansion and recurrence of hate speech. The Korea Institute of Criminology Policy pointed out in 2017's "The Reality and Countermeasures of Hate Speech" that "it is obvious that violence based on gender, race, disability, and sexual orientation cannot be justified as humor."

Regarding the negative impact of the continuous expansion of hate speech on our society, they emphasized, "If hate speech messages are repeatedly and continuously exposed in online communities, hate messages that were initially minority opinions may eventually be accepted as mainstream ideology and expand their influence," adding, "The phenomenon of hate speech must never be left as is for social integration."

They further suggested, "While remedies against hate speech should not lead to situations where healthy social voices cannot be expressed or individuals cannot freely express their opinions, active responses to hate speech must be carried out under this premise."

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