Updates and news June 27 - 23, 2023

Jinha - Womens news agency - June 27, 2023 - by YUSRA EL-EHMED
<<She develops projects to create employment opportunities for women
Raqqa- Despite the social pressures faced by them in many facets of life, women keep raising awareness and changing social norms by making decisions about their lives. 35-year-old Kafaa Al-Khazim, who lives in Raqqa city of North and East Syria, is one of these women.
'I want to smash the borders drawn for women'
After her father's death, Kafaa Al-Khazim worked as a kindergarten teacher for three years. Then, she became a kindergarten principal after graduating from the Faculty of Education. Three years ago, she put her project called, <Rawdat Alwan> into practice. Pointing out that women mostly participate in the labor force by working as teachers and nurses, she said: <Women face many challenges in their workplaces. I decided to develop projects for women to smash the borders drawn for women by social norms and patriarchal mentality. Opening a kindergarten and running it alone was not easy. But I was determined to smash the borders and make this project succeed.>
It is also for children with special needs
The difference between her kindergarten and other kindergartens in the city is that her kindergarten is also for children with special needs. <Many parents bring their children to my kindergarten because it is also for children with special needs. I feel proud to be able to support many women,> she told us.
Kafaa Al-Khazim
<Women can develop projects by taking responsibility with their own strong will,> said Kafaa Al-Khazim, who decided to put another project called, <Contractors Licensing Center> practice after the success of her kindergarten project. Speaking about this project, she said: <Many contractors are male. I developed this project to change this by challenging the mentality that thinks women cannot be contractors. I want to prove once again that women can do what they want.>
'We don't give up until we reach our goal'
In the interview with NuJINHA, Kafaa Al-Khazim mentioned the financial difficulties faced by her to put her projects into practice. <Despite all the difficulties, I did not give up. As women, we become stronger despite facing difficulties. We don't give up until we reach our goal. All women should use their will as a weapon to reach their goals and make efforts to ensure social equality.> >>
Source incl. video:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/community-life/she-develops-projects-to-create-employment-opportunities-for-women-33474?page=1

Jinha - Womens news agency - June 27, 2023 - by BAHARİN LEHİB
<<Bibi Shirin keeps working on her farm despite restrictions of Taliban
Kabul- Parwan is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is located north of Kabul Province, near the Golghondi Hill, also known as <the flower hill>. People living in this province mostly depend on agriculture and the province is famous for its mulberry trees. While walking around, we saw a woman working on her field. We asked her if they make good money from mulberries. <Before the Taliban, a Turkish company opened a chocolate factory here. They bought all the mulberries from farmers. At that time, we made good money from mulberries and the factory employed many men,> Bibi Shirin told us. After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the factory was closed down. Since then, no one buys mulberries from farmers and farmers only sell mulberries in street markets now.
'The Taliban banned women from working'
Speaking about what happened after the Taliban took control of the country, she said, <The Taliban forces entered our region and told men that women no longer have the right to work, women should stay at home. Women in the region did accept it and kept working in the fields because they did not want to lose their freedom. However, the owners of farms were afraid of the Taliban and did not employ women to work in their farms.>
'I work on the fields for hours with my daugters'
<Working on the fields is exhausting, but I like it,> Bibi Shirin said, <I work on the fields for hours with my daughters. I feel free when I work on the fields. I do not want to lose my freedom.> >>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/community-life/bibi-shirin-keeps-working-on-her-farm-despite-restrictions-of-taliban-33481

Jinha - Womens news agency - June 22, 2023
<<Over 1,000 civilians killed since Taliban takeover, report says
More than 1,000 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, according to the report released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Tuesday.
News Center- The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has released a report today. More than 1,000 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021. 1,095 civilians were killed and 2,679 wounded between August 15, 2021, and May this year, the report said. The majority of deaths, over 700, were caused by improvised explosive devices, including suicide bombings in public places such as mosques, education centers and markets. Though armed fighting has fallen dramatically since the Taliban took over as the NATO-backed military collapsed, security challenges remain, particularly from ISIS, the report said. According to the report, more than 1,700 casualties, including injuries, were attributed to explosive attacks claimed by ISIS.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/over-1-000-civilians-killed-since-taliban-takeover-report-says-33483?page=1

------
Previous news

Jinha - Womens news agency - June 22, 2023 - by BAHAR SELINI
<<Taliban remove images of women from walls in Kabul
The Taliban have removed the images of women drawn by young painters on the walls of Kabul and drew images symbolizing the Taliban.
Kabul- The Taliban have removed the images of women drawn by a group of women painters on walls of Kabul despite the economic difficulties.
Women painters drew the images of pioneering women
On the walls of Kabul, the young women painters drew the images of the pioneering women such as Meena Keshwar Kamal, founder of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), Afghan writer, activist and politician Malalai Joya and former Afghan MP Bilqis Roshan and the images of male and female students, who were killed at Kabul University by ISIS in 2020. After the Taliban removed the images of women from the walls of Kabul, they drew images symbolizing the rule of the Taliban on the walls.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/taliban-remove-images-of-women-from-walls-in-kabul-33454?page=1

Jinha - Womens news agency - June 20, 2023
<<Afghan women call on UNHRC to stand by Afghan women
<<News Center- Members of the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women gathered in a closed place in Afghanistan on Monday (June 19). The video shared by them on social media platforms said that Afghans have been held hostage by the Taliban and Afghan women have been deprived of their rights for two years.
'The terrorism of the Taliban is ignored'
In the video, women called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to stand by Afghan women based on human rights values and said that some international organizations ignore the terrorism of the Taliban. <The international community should not support a terrorist group,> they said.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/afghan-women-call-on-unhrc-to-stand-by-afghan-women-33439

Jinha - Womens news agency - June 1, 2023
<<Afghan Women: Do not recognize the Taliban
The Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women (SMAW) has released a statement condemning the Taliban's policies against women and girls and calling on the international community not to recognize the Taliban.
News Center- The members of the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women (SMAW) gathered in Kabul on Wednesday, May 31, and released a statement calling for schools to be reopened for girls and the removal of restrictions against women. Referring to the journey of the first female astronaut from Saudi Arabia, the statement said, <While an Arab Muslim woman can go to space, why are Muslim women and girls deprived of education in our country?> Criticizing the delivery of the cash aid package of $40 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan every week, the statement said, <It is a betrayal against the people of the country, who are deprived of their rights.> In the statement, the women called on the international community not to recognize the Taliban.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/afghan-women-do-not-recognize-the-taliban-33378

Jinha - Womens news agency - June 1, 2023 - By BAHARIN LEHIB
<<Former female soldier fleeing Taliban's repression lives in cave
Kabul- Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, Afghan people have been subjected to many rights violations. The Taliban's repression mostly targets women and girls. Afghan women and girls have been deprived of their right to education, work and removed from public life. Since the Taliban took control of the country, many former government officials and soldiers have been kidnapped, killed and tortured by the Taliban forces. While some former government officials and soldiers managed to flee to other countries, the fate of many is still unknown. The families of some arrested soldiers still receive no news from them. The situation for former female soldiers is the same. A.S. is one of these female soldiers. She has been living in one of the caves of Bamyan city of Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country. She struggles to survive with her children in the cave in fear that the Taliban will kidnap, torture, arrest and kill her.
The fate of the soldiers kidnapped by the Taliban is unknown
Indicating that she held a good position in the previous Afghan government, A.S. said, <After several months, the Taliban called on soldiers to serve for them. Some female and male soldiers accepted to serve for the Taliban; however, they were kidnapped or killed. The fate of the soldiers kidnapped by the Taliban is still unknown. We take shelter in this cave because I do not want to be killed by the Taliban.>
'I do not want to die'
After fleeing the Taliban repression, her husband left her and married another woman. Now, she tries to protect and look after her three children alone in the cave. She earns money for herself and her children by digging up potatoes in the agricultural fields belonging to others. <I fear that the Taliban will come after me to find and kill me. My son is seriously sick now. What would happen to my children if I die? I do not want to die.> >>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/community-life/former-female-soldier-fleeing-taliban-s-repression-lives-in-cave-33373

Jinha - Womens News Agency - May 23 , 2023
<<Two female teachers brutally beaten by Taliban fighters
Two female teachers were brutally beaten by the Taliban fighters in front of their students in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province.
News Center- Two female teachers named Zahra Haydari and Sharifa Rustami were brutally beaten by the Taliban fighters in front of their students and colleagues at the Darul Uloom School located in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province, according to the local sources. Local sources also said that two female teachers were taken to a police station after being beaten. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls, have been subjected to inhuman practices by the Taliban. Girls and women have been deprived of their right to education and their right to work and they have been excluded from public life.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/two-female-teachers-brutally-beaten-by-taliban-fighters-33326

Jinha - Womens news agency - May 23, 2023
<<Two female teachers brutally beaten by Taliban fighters
Two female teachers were brutally beaten by the Taliban fighters in front of their students in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province.
News Center- Two female teachers named Zahra Haydari and Sharifa Rustami were brutally beaten by the Taliban fighters in front of their students and colleagues at the Darul Uloom School located in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province, according to the local sources. Local sources also said that two female teachers were taken to a police station after being beaten. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls, have been subjected to inhuman practices by the Taliban. Girls and women have been deprived of their right to education and their right to work and they have been excluded from public life.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/two-female-teachers-brutally-beaten-by-taliban-fighters-33326

Jinha - Womens news agency - May 12, 2023
<<‘Sharia law' deactivated for crimes committed by Taliban
<<News Center- Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they have imposed the Sharia law especially against women and girls. Women and girls have been deprived of their right to education, work and to be elected. The country has been turned into a nightmare for women and girls by the Taliban. Although the Taliban have tried to show that they have been <changed>, their inhuman practices have revealed that nothing has been changed. As soon as the Taliban took the control of the country, they began to arrest, torture and detention opponents, especially women and girls. There are many stories of those who were detained and tortured by the Taliban agents. When the Taliban took over Kabul in 1996, they burned the houses and agricultural fields of the people; committed massacres against the Hazaras in Bamyan and Mazar.
'The mentality has not changed'
NuJINHA spoke to an Afghan woman about the difference between the practices of the Taliban in the 1990s and now. <At that time (When the Taliban took over Kabul in 1996), I was a young woman. At that time, I did not like Fridays because the Taliban committed crimes against people every Friday. We saw dead bodies on the streets. After 20 years, the Taliban took over Kabul again. Now, the Taliban whip women and men every day. They executed a man in the city of Farah. Even if 20 years have passed, the mentality has not changed,> she told us. Several days ago, Afghanistan's chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani shared a video and announced that they have ordered for 175 counter actions, the stoning of 37 people, 79 ransom payments.> After his announcement, the high-ranking Taliban officials such as Saeed Khosti, Alamgol Haqqani, Maulvi Abdul Jabbar and Nurullah Adel published photos on social media accounts showing punishments against the crimes of moral issues. The photos showed the punishment against the people, who were allegedly committed crimes such as adultery and rape in Sharia law. However, the members of the Taliban who commit such crimes go unpunished. Six months ago, Abdul Ghani Haqbin, former counterterrorism chief of the Taliban Police in Kandahar, was imprisoned for adultery. However, he was released after an order by the group's leader.The Taliban see adultery as a crime and severely punish ordinary Afghan citizens accused of this crime. A Taliban commander's son attempted to rape Rozmineh, a 25-year-old woman, in Ghor province. He shot and killed the women after she resisted. Although a video showing how he killed Rozmineh was released on social media platforms, he has gone unpunished.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/sharia-law-deactivated-for-crimes-committed-by-taliban-33259

Jinha - Womens News Agency - April 27, 2023
<<Afghan activists demand UN to cancel meeting with Taliban in Doha
News Center- 81 Afghan civil society, political, intellectual, and academic activists have sent an open letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Antonio Guterres to cancel the scheduled meeting with the Taliban in Doha. In the letter published on April 26, the activists pointed out that the Taliban will not change through political expediency, emphasizing that they oppose the idea of the UN's involvement in facilitating the recognition of the Taliban by the UN member states.
Rights violations against more than 30 million Afghan citizens
<Since their unlawful return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have systematically violated the basic human rights of more than 30 million Afghan citizens. Women, who make up at least half of the country's population, have been excluded from public life. These rights violations show that the Taliban will not change its policies or ideology through political expediency.> The activists have called for the cancellation of the meeting with the representatives of the Taliban in Doha. The UN Secretary-General's meeting with the representatives of the Taliban is scheduled for May 1-2, in Doha, capital of Qatar.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/afghan-activists-demand-un-to-cancel-meeting-with-taliban-in-doha-33174
 
---

Jinha - Womens News Agency - April 19, 2023
<<Call on all organizations to unite against Taliban in Afghanistan
News Center- The Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women sent a letter to dozens of political parties and NGOs, calling for unity against the Taliban. In the statement, the movement stressed the need for new organizations, saying, <We are ready to cooperate with all anti-Taliban organizations to create an atmosphere of unity and trust. The Taliban is the unified enemy of all organizations, including women.> Shortly after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August 2021, the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women released a statement. In the statement, they vowed to struggle against the Taliban's misogynistic laws and policies.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/call-on-all-organizations-to-unite-against-taliban-in-afghanistan-33134

Jinha - Womens News Agency - April 18 2023
<<Taliban close all educational institutions in Kandahar and Helmand
News Center- Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they have issued many bans violating the rights of women and girls. The Taliban keep violating the rights of women and girls in the country. According to the reports, the Taliban's Ministry of Education has closed all educational centers and institutions supported by non-governmental groups in Kandahar and Helmand until further notice. The centers and institutions are mostly for girls, who are banned from going to school beyond sixth grade. The ministry has announced that it ordered the closure of the educational centers and institutes after a committee reviews their activities. Mutawakil Ahmad, the spokesperson for the Kandahar education department, confirmed <that the activities of the educational centers and institutes are suspended until further notice. The decision was made after people's complaints,> said Mutawakil Ahmad, without providing further details.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/taliban-close-all-educational-institutions-in-kandahar-and-helmand-33128?page=1

 above = update
Jinha - Womens News Agency - 13 April 2023
<<News Center- A girls' high school was reportedly set on fire in Afghanistan's Zabul province on Tuesday night by unidentified person or persons. According to the local sources, the entire administrative documents and books in the school building were burned as a result of the fire.
The Taliban have not released any statement about the fire.
The Taliban have banned women and girls from going to school and since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, women and girls have been subjected to misogynistic policies. Despite all the inhuman practices carried out by the Taliban, Afghan women keep resisting to retake their rights.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/girls-school-set-on-fire-in-afghanistan-33106
Note from Gino d'Artali: Read also: www.cryfreedom.net/ZAA-JMA-2023-april-6-4--biological-attacks.htm and click on the most recent link for the latest update

The Guardian | Reuters - April 11 2023
<<UN tells Afghan staff to stay home after Taliban ban on female workers
The United Nations has launched a review of its operations in Afghanistan and asked all Afghan staff not to come to work at least until May after the Taliban barred its female staff from working. The UN said last week that the Taliban, who swept to power in 2021, had communicated that Afghan women would not be able to work for the global organisation. Taliban officials have not commented on the order. <Through this ban, the Taliban de facto authorities seek to force the United Nations into having to make an appalling choice between staying and delivering in support of the Afghan people and standing by the norms and principles we are duty-bound to uphold,> the UN mission (Unama) said in a statement on Tuesday. The UN has said that implementing the order would put it in breach of its charter. It has asked 3,000 staff - men and women - to stay home until 5 May while it made <necessary consultations>, any required adjustments to its operations and accelerated contingency planning. The restriction on female UN workers, coming after a ban on most female NGO workers in December, has prompted heavy international criticism. Some officials have flagged concerns donors may pull back on support to Afghanistan's humanitarian aid programme, the largest in the world, and that implementing some programmes and reaching women in the conservative country without female workers would not be possible.>>
Read more here:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/11/un-afghan-staff-stay-home-taliban-ban-female-workers

Jinha - Womens News Agency - April 11 2023
<<Afghan women's rights activist Nargis Sadat released from prison
News Center- The Powerful Women of Afghanistan movement has announced that women's rights activist Nargis Sadat, who was arrested by the Taliban two months ago, was released from prison on Monday, April 10. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) welcomed the release of the women's right activist on its social media account. The social media post said, <UNAMA welcomes reported release of Nargis Sadat & Zakaria Osuli, remains concerned about ongoing arbitrary detention of number of Afghanistan civil society activists, incl. rights defenders who have spoken out about rights of women & girls, some held incommunicado for months.> >>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/afghan-women-s-rights-activist-nargis-sadat-released-from-prison-33088?page=1

Jinha - Womens News Agency - April 11 2023
<<Afghan women calls on UN to close its offices in Afghanistan
News Center- The Coalition of Afghan Women's Protest Movements held press conferences on Sunday, April 9, in various provinces such as Kabul, Takhar, Bamyan and Badakhshan about the ban of the Taliban on Afghan women employees of the United Nations from working throughout Afghanistan. The coalition called on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to close its offices in Afghanistan due to its silence. The coalition said, <In December 2022, when the Taliban banned women from working at NGOs, women protesters expected international aid agencies to have a unified approach in protesting the Taliban's restrictions on women and not continue their activities in Afghanistan without female employees. Contrary to our expectations, once again international aid agencies, including the United Nations, negotiated an agreement with the Taliban that allowed women to continue their work in limited sectors. The lack of unified and strong action in response to the Taliban’s continued attacks on women's rights has paved the way for the Taliban to continue their attacks. We call on UNAMA and other international aid'agencies to close their offices in Afghanistan until women are allowed to work again.>
What happened?
On April 5, 2023, the Taliban issued an order to ban Afghan women employees of the United Nations from working throughout Afghanistan. After the ban, the United Nations asked all staff not to come to the office for 48 hours and asked all Afghan staff not to come to work at least until May.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/afghan-women-calls-on-un-to-close-its-offices-in-afghanistan-33090?page=1

Jinha - Womens News Agency - April 4 2023
<<Woman kills herself after being raped by brother-in-law of Taliban politician
News Center- According to local sources, a young woman named Shukrieh killed herself on Monday after being raped by the brother-in-law of Maulvi Amanuddin, a Taliban politician. The local sources also reported that the woman was an employee of a hospital in Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province and she was raped at the hospital by the head of the hospital, the brother-in-law of Maulvi Amanuddin.
She was raped under anesthesia
<The father of Shukrieh was a commander and he was killed by the Taliban. She was the only breadwinner of her family of 9. She was raped under anesthesia. After she regained consciousness, she understood she had been raped and then she killed herself,> said one of the local sources.
Families are afraid of being labelled
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, many cases of sexual assault against women and children by the Taliban forces have been revealed. However, many families do not report the sexual assaults for fear of being labelled.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency1.com/en/actual/woman-kills-herself-after-being-raped-by-brother-in-law-of-taliban-politician-33054

copyright Womens Liberation Front 2019/cryfreedom.net 2023