The Taliban sang victory songs Monday in Kabul, near the former US embassy, to mark the first anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan, a year marked by a deep setback for women’s rights and a deep humanitarian crisis.
Images that have been recorded in our mind
On August 15, 2021, the Islamic fundamentalists took the capital Kabul without a fight, after a lightning offensive carried out throughout the territory against the defeated government forces, thanks to the withdrawal of US and NATO troops, after twenty years of conflict in the country that left tens of thousands dead. “We have fulfilled the obligation of jihad and liberated our country,” summarizes Niamatullah Hekmat, a Taliban fighter who entered Kabul that day.
“It is the day of victory and happiness for the Muslims and the people of Afghanistan. It is the day of the conquest and the victory of the white flag” of the Islamic Emirate, the government spokesman, Bilal Karimi, said on Twitter.
The chaotic withdrawal of foreign forces continued until August 31, with tens of thousands of panicked civilians rushing to the capital’s only airport to be evacuated from the country, on any available flight. Stunning images of crowds storming planes parked on the tarmac, climbing onto planes or trying to grab hold of a taking off US military cargo plane have scarred the world.
The anniversary of the “Islamic Emirate”
Many Taliban were taking selfies at Square Massoud, a large intersection decorated with white flags of the Islamic Emirate, opposite the former US embassy, and leading to the airport, an AFPTV journalist said. “Long live the Islamic Emirate! Allahu Akbar (God is great)!” in particular they sang during a spontaneous meeting in this square.
On the streets of Kabul, under a gray sky, the traffic was rather light and the population discreet, but as always with armed Taliban patrols in trucks and checkpoints. Except for this Monday declared a holiday, so far no official celebration has been announced on the occasion of the anniversary.
Extreme poverty
A year later, Taliban fighters express their joy at seeing their movement exercising power today, at a time when, for their part, humanitarian aid agencies are alarmed to see half of the country’s 38 million inhabitants in a situation of extreme poverty.
“When we entered Kabul and when the Americans left, they were moments of joy,” says Niamatullah Hekmat, a member of the special forces.
A nightmare for women.
But for ordinary Afghans, especially women, the return of the Taliban has only amplified the difficulties. Very quickly and despite their initial promise, the country’s new masters largely reverted to the ultra-rigorous interpretation of Islam that had characterized their first accession to power between 1996 and 2001, severely restricting women’s rights.
They are excluded from many public jobs and are prohibited from traveling alone outside of their city. In March, Islamists closed high schools and colleges for girls, just hours after their long-announced reopening. And in early May, the Taliban supreme leader ordered women to wear full-face veils in public, preferably burqas.
“Since the day they arrived, life has lost its meaning,” said Ogai Amail, a Kabul resident. “They took everything from us, they even entered our personal space.”
On Saturday in Kabul, Taliban fighters dispersed with rifle butts and shots into the air some forty women who were demonstrating for the right to work and education.
economic distress
Although Afghans acknowledge a decrease in violence with the end of the war, many of them are severely affected by an acute economic and humanitarian crisis. “People who come to our shops complain so much about the high prices that we shopkeepers are even starting to hate what we do,” said Noor Mohammad, a shopkeeper from Kandahar, the historical cradle and center of Taliban power.
For Islamist fighters, however, the joy of victory overshadows the current economic crisis. “We may be poor, we may be facing difficulties, but the white flag of Islam will now fly high forever in Afghanistan,” said one of them, stationed in a public park in Kabul.
Source: BFM TV
