Afghanistan, women take to the streets in Herat and challenge the Taliban
-
Alaina
- . September 3, 2021
- . Update: September 3, 2021 10:29 pm
Pending the announcement of the new Afghan government, which will finally discover the cards on the table, many questions remain unresolved. Dozens of fearless activists took to the streets in Herat: among them students, journalists, and those who worked in institutions for years before the capture of Kabul. On the banners held in their hands, we read: “Do not be afraid. We are together”. They ask for education, work and security. And to be included in the decision-making power of the country. Western countries await the announcement to establish diplomatic or other relations with the new power in Kabul.
“We have to engage with the Taliban on many issues. Firstly, how do we help them? How can we bring humanitarian aid?” Said Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. “Second: how can we deal with the many people who are willing to leave and who did not take their seats on the planes leaving Kabul until last week?”.
For British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the priorities are clear: “We must make sure we are at the level of the Taliban or the new authorities in Kabul, and they must understand that if they want to engage with the West, with our friends and us – and I know they want to. – then the priority for us is a safe passage for those who want to leave “. Afghanistan is still heavily dependent on humanitarian aid, and any non-recognition of its regime could easily lead to economic collapse. A future that many citizens fear.
Beheshti Argand, the Afghan network TOLOnews, who made history with her interview with a senior Taliban exponent two weeks ago, has left Afghanistan. However, her interview has spread worldwide. Two days later, she struck another blow by interviewing Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Prize-winning activist who escaped the Pakistani Taliban. She helped her to leave the country, along with her family, aboard an evacuation flight from Qatar.
The fame attracted many attentions on her at a time of very high tension and confusion in Afghanistan, and that, in the end, pushed her to leave her country. “I did it like millions of other people because I’m afraid of the Taliban,” she told CNN television channel via WhatsApp. Still, the journalist did not hide the hope of returning to Afghanistan one day and working for her people if the Taliban will do what they say and what they promised. “If the situation improves, I feel safe and do not feel that there are threats to me,” she said.
