Iran & Taliban’s Foreign Ministers Discuss Joint Action Against Israel

During this meeting, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, will present a report on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan under Taliban control.

In this report, Bennett will provide information to the UN Human Rights Council about the discriminatory actions of the Taliban against Afghan women and girls.

Previously, Heather Barr, Human Rights Watch associate women’s rights director, said that Bennett's new report on the "shocking and escalating abuse of Afghan women by the Taliban" is explicit and critical.

Barr stated that in an effort to gain Taliban cooperation, the UN has ignored the report of its Special Rapporteur.

Human Rights Watch has also called on countries to establish a mechanism for accountability and investigation of Taliban crimes within the framework of the Human Rights Council.

According to the organisation, countries' disregard of the harassment and mistreatment of women by the Taliban is disappointing.

The organisation called on countries to establish a mechanism for accountability and investigation of Taliban crimes within the framework of the Human Rights Council.

This international body expressed concern about the "oppressive" situation of Afghan women and girls, urging the world to recognise gender apartheid as a crime against humanity.

Human Rights Watch released its statement a day before the new session of the UN Human Rights Council to review the new report by Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan.

Human Rights Watch is one of the major international organisations that has supported the recommendations in Richard Bennett's report. The report emphasises on the recognition of gender apartheid and called on countries to bring the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for human rights violations.

Human Rights Watch has also urged members of the Human Rights Council to file a complaint against the Taliban in this court.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has excluded Afghan women from the third Doha meeting. Human Rights Watch has stated that this action by the United Nations is a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security.

He called on politicians to join their "brothers" by taking advantage of the "general amnesty" and to "have a peaceful life”.

The Taliban's Arg page on the X social media platform reported that the Eid prayer ceremony was held in the presence of Mullah Hassan and other officials of the group at the Arg in Kabul.

The Taliban's statement mentioned that in his speech, Mullah Hassan asked Taliban officials and fighters to treat people "with respect and politeness”.

He also called on the country's merchants to help needy families during the Eid days.

Nearly three years after the Taliban's return to Afghanistan, the group still lacks domestic legitimacy and international recognition.

They have also imposed extensive restrictions on women, excluding them from various sectors of society.

International organisations have reported that despite the announcement of a general amnesty, the Taliban has widely killed its opponents, particularly former Afghan government employees.

Ziaullah Hashmi, the spokesperson for the Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education, reposted the file, calling it an "important fatwa”.

In the audio file, Sheikh Abdul Ali Deobandi cites narratives from the early days of Islam, asserting that women are not allowed to attend congregational prayers or learn to write.

This Taliban mufti criticises Islamic countries that grant women the right to education, stating that while these countries are called "Islamic," they are not capable of implementing Sharia law in reality.

Abdul Ali Deobandi emphasises that women's participation in congregational prayers and learning to write leads to "corruption”.

For over a thousand days, the Taliban have prevented the reopening of secondary and higher education schools for girls. Since December 20, 2022, the Taliban have also stopped women from continuing their university education.

In the audio, Abdul Ali Deobandi responds to a radio listener's question about education for women from the perspective of "Islamic Sharia”. He states, "If women learn to write, they will write letters to others." He adds, "Old and young women have been banned from education and attending congregational prayers because our times are times of temptation, and this leads to women's corruption."

Deobandi also warns about women using mobile phones, stating that women use them to "form relationships and turn to immorality and vices”.

This announcement follows the Taliban's declaration on Sunday that they will participate in the meeting. According to the report, plans are in place to consult with civil society members before and after the Doha meeting, but they will not attend sessions where the Taliban members are present.

It remains unclear who these consulted civil society members will be.

Unlike the previous two Doha meetings, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will not travel to Qatar for this session. The Taliban and UN officials have been negotiating in Kabul for weeks regarding the group's participation in the Doha meeting.

On Sunday, the Taliban confirmed that a delegation from their group would attend the third Doha meeting. However, they warned that any changes to the composition or agenda of the meeting could affect their decision to participate.

In the second Doha meeting, the UN attempted to persuade the Taliban to attend, but these efforts were unsuccessful. At that time, the Taliban set conditions, including that no one but their group should represent Afghans at the meeting.

It appears that for the third Doha meeting, the UN has accepted the Taliban's demands, and the meeting will be held with the Taliban as the sole representatives from Afghanistan.

Women's protest movements and political parties opposing the Taliban have repeatedly stated that holding the Doha meeting without representatives of women and political parties is akin to giving concessions to the Taliban. On June 5, in a joint statement, political groups and protesting women wrote, "Engaging with terrorist groups will not solve the problem and will exacerbate the consequences of the crisis."