MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

News Center- After the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan; the Taliban took the control of Afghanistan and began to practice Sharia rules against women. Girls have been banned from going to school and women have been banned from working in the country. Afghan women are trying to form a solidarity network on social media against the current situation in Afghanistan. They know what they will face under the control of the Taliban and they call on women to be in solidarity with them. Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Muş MP Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit told us that as women’s council of the party, they are closely following what is going on in Afghanistan and that Afghan women should form their own self-defense unit against Sharia rules and pressure being imposed on them. “The Taliban have continued its existence in the country since 2001 and the country was handed over to the Taliban by the US. Afghan women have been left alone in the country.”

“Women are seen as second-class citizens”

Women living in the country are at risk of losing their all rights, particularly their right to live, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit said, “The Taliban is a radical Islamist group. For this reason, they will practice Sharia rules. We know that women are seen as second-class citizens and have to live under the control of men in the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic religious law and women. They will not work and study. According to the Taliban, women have only one role; get married and give birth. Women have no other role in society.”

“The Taliban's ideology is a misogynist ideology”

The Taliban’s practices after entering Kabul reveal their policy against women; Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit said that the Taliban's ideology is a misogynist ideology. “We saw how women were told, ‘you cannot work here anymore, don’t come again' after the Taliban entered Kabul. The reports and footage of news outlets show us the approaches of the Taliban. This ideology is basically an ideology against women's rights and free women cannot live under this ideology. The Taliban are forcing women to be slaves, and have no rights.”

“The Taliban commit a gender-based hate crime”

Commented on the Taliban’s moderate messages to the world, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit said that the Taliban’s aim is to manipulate the international community, “Women cannot go out because they don’t know what they will face. The Taliban commit a gender-based hate crime now with the support of the other powers. They say they have actually changed; however, the reports from the country show that the reality is not like that at all. The Taliban know that women have a stronger freedom movement all around the world and that there is a strong woman dynamic against the people supporting Sharia. That’s why the Taliban try to give more moderate messages.”

“We are closely following the developments”

Afghan women constantly call for support and solidarity on social media platforms, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit said, “Afghan women were born and grew up in the war in the country. They know what they will face so they have great anger against the Taliban. Women living in the country are calling for women's organizations to make their voices heard and stop massacres (femicides). They call for solidarity and support on social media platforms. They call for solidarity to protect themselves. Everyone in the country is in great fear because the Taliban previously had very serious threats against working women. The Taliban’s mindset and ideology is a misogynistic mindset and ideology. For this reason, the women in the country are trying to make their voices heard all around the world. As HDP Women’s Council, we hear their voices and we are closely following the developments in Afghanistan.”

“We should be the voices of Afghan women”

“All women around the world should call on their governments and pressure them against the gender-based hate crime in Afghanistan,” Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit said, “The governments shouldn’t recognize this misogynistic ideology. All women activists should call on their governments to not recognize the Taliban. ISIS tried to do what the Taliban is doing in Afghanistan now. These radical religious groups are trying to become systematized. The first thing such groups try to do when find strength is to kill people, particularly women. This threat is not only against Afghan women but also against all women. Afghan women are left alone with this threat. We are not free if women are still killed in the world. We should be the voices of Afghan women. Afghan women should use their self-defense. Women using their self-defense defeated ISIS. I believe that Afghan women can take these women’s self-defense as a model. I think all Afghan women should use their right to self-defense.”