Officials spoke under anonymity because they were afraid of reprisals from the Taliban. They said that dozens of women arrived at Kabul’s international Airport Friday to board domestic and foreign flights.
One official said that some of the women were dual-nationals who had returned to their home countries, including Canada. According to the officials, women were not allowed to board flights from Islamabad, Dubai, and Turkey on Kam Air or the state-owned Ariana Airline.
One official said that the order was given by the Taliban leadership.
According to the official, Saturday was the deadline for some women travelling alone to board an Ariana Airlines flight from western Herat. He said that they had already missed their flight by the time permission was granted.
Saturday’s meeting included airline officials with the president of the airport and chief of police, both from both Islamic clerics and the Taliban movement.
The official stated that they were trying to resolve the problem.
It was not clear if the Taliban would allow air travel to be exempted from an order that required women who traveled more than 45 miles (72 km) to be accompanied with a male relative.
Multiple requests for comment were not answered by Taliban officials who were contacted multiple times by The Associated Press.
The Taliban leadership has been fighting among themselves since they took power in August. They are trying to transition from war to governance. Hard-liners, such as Mullah Hasan Akhund acting Prime Minister, are rooted deeply in the old guard. This has made it difficult for the pragmatic, like Sirajuddin Haiqani, to prevail. His father Jalaluddin Haqanni passed the leadership of the powerful Haqqani network to him. Although the elder Haqqani died many years ago, he is of Akhund’s generation. He ruled Afghanistan under Mullah Mohammad Obmar’s strict and uncompromising leadership.
Many Afghans find it frustrating to learn that the Taliban’s younger generation, such as Sirajuddin Haqqani and others, are teaching their daughters in Pakistan while women and girls in Afghanistan have been subject to their repressive edicts.
This latest attack on women’s rights in Taliban-run Afghanistan denies women air travel. It comes days after the all-male, religiously driven government broke the promise to allow girls to go back to school after sixth grade.
This angered the international community which had been reluctant to recognize the Taliban-run government ever since they swept to power last August. They feared that they would return to the harsh rule of 1990s. Large swathes of Afghans were also angered by the Taliban’s refusal open education to all Afghan children. Many girls marched in the Afghan capital on Saturday demanding that they be allowed to attend school.
Mahbouba Seraj, a women’s rights activist, went on Afghanistan’s TOLO TV and asked: “How can we as a nation trust your words anymore?” What can we do to please your? “Should we all die?”
PenPath is an Afghan charity that runs “secret” schools in Afghanistan with thousands of volunteers. It plans to hold countrywide protests demanding the Taliban reverse their order, according to Matiullah Wesa (PenPath founder).
Roya Mahboob (an Afghan businesswoman who established a robotics team for girls in Afghanistan) received the Forum Award at the Doha Forum 2022 in Qatar.
After classes for older girls were stopped, the U.S. special representative Tom West cancelled meetings with Taliban at Doha Forum.
Jalina Porter, Deputy U.S. State Department spokesperson, stated in a statement, “We have canceled certain of our engagements, which included planned meetings in Doha, and around the Doha Forum. We have made it clear that this decision is a potential turning point for our engagement.
She stated that the Taliban’s decision to strike a deal with Afghanistan, which she hoped would be reversed quickly, would have a profound impact on the Afghan people and its prospects of economic growth.
West admitted that the Taliban had promised girls and women education since their takeover. He stated that the U.S. had received the “necessary assurances” from the international community that this was going to occur.
West stated, “I was shocked at the turnaround this Wednesday and I think that you’ve seen how the world reacts in condemning the move.” “It’s a breach of trust, first and foremost, by the Afghan people who made the commitment.”
He said, “I believe that hope is not lost.” Many Afghans believe the same thing. I have spoken to many of them. “I am hopeful that this decision will be reversed in the next days.”
After receiving the Doha Forum Award, Mahboob urged the global leaders and policymakers to press the Taliban into opening schools for all Afghan children.
Although the robotics team fled Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power, Mahboob stated that she still hopes to construct a science and tech center in Afghanistan for girls.
She said, “I hope the international community and the Muslim communities (have) not forgotten Afghanistan and (will not abandon us”).” Afghanistan is a poor country. It lacks sufficient resources. If you take away our knowledge, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
