KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN – OCTOBER 08: Exactly after 20 years, the wheel of history has turned full circle with the dramatic takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in the face of crumbling resistance from the West-backed Ashraf Ghani regime.
The capital Kabul, and their birthplace, Kandahar, from where the Taliban had to run off in disarray, are again in their hands, along with the untamable northern Panjshir valley as a bonus.
The Taliban have attempted to portray themselves as a reformed group that acknowledges a semblance of women’s rights and freedom of expression, since their recent military takeover of Afghanistan.
The Taliban promised in several press conferences and statements that they will respect women’s rights in accordance with their interpretation of Sharia law.
However, despite promises that women’s rights would be respected under Sharia law, the space for women’s rights has already begun to rapidly shrink.
The new Afghan regime has gradually banned women from participating in some activities in certain areas.
Last September Afghan women, including the country’s women’s cricket team, were banned from playing sport under the new Taliban government.
Recently, Afghan women have been prohibited to go to amusement parks in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
Anadolu Agency Video News (AAVN) on Friday (Oct. 8) videoed Afghan men enjoying an amusement in the city, riding on bumper cars.
Normally amusement parks filled with happy children accompanied by their mothers are a common sight in almost every country. But this time in the Afghan city many toys that children use are empty. There were almost no little kids in the park.
In the 1990s the Taliban carried out multiple human rights violations against women including stoning, public beatings, executions, and death penalty, and facing arrest and penalties for “inappropriate dress”, and denial of education for girls.