Ex-Rights Group Chief Cites Afghan Women's Rights Neglect Amid Political Interests

Sima Samar, former chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, said that human rights, especially the rights of women in Afghanistan, have been marginalised due to the priority of the political interests of countries.

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Samar told Afghanistan International that the interest issue has caused the international community to show flexibility to the Taliban.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Afghanistan International, she added that the Taliban has deprived women in Afghanistan of all their rights and emphasised that it is unprecedented in the world.

Samar said that, although Afghan women's rights have not been mentioned in the Doha Agreement, the UN Security Council, which positions itself as a global advocate for human rights, has approved the agreement.

The Doha Agreement was signed on February 29, 2020, between representatives of the Taliban and the United States in Qatar. A few weeks later, by passing a resolution, the UN Security Council endorsed the agreement and the joint declaration between the government of Afghanistan and the United States, which was signed at the same time in Kabul.

A section of the Doha Agreement, states that the United States will request the recognition and approval of the agreement by the United Nations Security Council.

Samar added that families of the Taliban send group members to religious schools for various reasons, including poverty. She said that a majority of the Taliban members did not experience the love and affection of a mother during their childhood.

She expressed concerns that, due to the deprivation of mothers' affections, the Taliban may lack respect for women, including their own mothers.

Samar said that the Taliban are now forcing people to send their children to religious schools. A place where, according to her, "there is free bread, but children are brainwashed”.