Taliban’s “Women’s Rights” Show… Except the audience is mostly house‑bound
In Geneva on Friday (Nov 25), a group of UN experts dropped a monster bomb on the Taliban’s party playlist. They warned that the way the Taliban treats Afghan women and girls could qualify as a crime against humanity. According to Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett and nine co‑reporters, this might even tick the “gender persecution” box under the Rome Statute.
What the UN is Saying
- Women are locked inside homes like they’re auditioning for a new extreme‑sober reality show.
- The confinement is “tantamount to imprisonment.” That’s the UN’s word‑play, but it’s also a warning sign that domestic violence and mental‑health issues might spike.
- In the past month, activist Zarifa Yaqobi and four male comrades were handcuffed. They’re still stuck behind bars.
Taliban’s Rebuttal
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi fired back, claiming the UN’s “collective punishment” of innocent Afghans in the name of women’s rights is itself a “war crime.” He even swore that “the UN sanctions regime” is a smokescreen for “injustice against Islam.”
Why the West Is Still Talking About It
Since taking power in Aug 2021, the Taliban has declared it respects women’s rights as per its own religious reading. That’s the official line, but many Western governments, hoping for a formal say‑cape of recognition, keep demanding a ‘full‑scale change’ on women’s privileges—including a real, long‑term opening of girls’ high schools.
Flogging – The “Public” Punishment
- UN Human Rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani called for an immediate stop to public floggings in Afghanistan.
- She cited a chilling case: a woman and a man were whipped 39 times each for dating outside marriage—no romantic comedy here.
- Taliban officials said such UN statements and Western comments “insult Islam” and break international norms.
So while the Taliban is playing “Respect Women” on a very small stage, the entire world is tuning in—some for applause, some for a strict censorship alert. Whether the performance will ever level out and fit the score of actual rights remains to be seen.
