Afghanistan’s New Foreign Minister: “Let’s Be Friends!” (with a Twist)
Hey, world! The freshly minted Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, stepped onto a stage in Doha on Monday (Oct 11) and declared that the country wants full-on international friendship. But listen up: he’s also dodged the big-ticket issue everyone’s been tweeting about—that’s right, you’re guessing, girls’ education.
What Did He Really Say?
- “We need the international community to start cooperating with us,” he told a crowd at the Doha Institute’s event.
- He promised that this cooperation might stop insecurity and help Afghanistan engage positively with the rest of the globe.
But if you’re hoping to see a banner that says “Girls Will Go Back to School,” you’re out of luck for now. Most of the Taliban crabs neither cracked nor cracked open the door to high-school admission for girls. They’re still curled up on the “boys-only” policy (after last month’s decision that grades above sixth would only reopen for boys).
Why the Roadblock?
Müttaqi’s side of the conversation was all about pace. “We’re new, still nursing a few weeks’ worth of reforms,” he said. “You expect us to do all the work in two months? No.”
In plain terms: The Taliban are still on the Dagwood of the country’s political buffet, humming a tune of “slow and steady.”
The International Crowd’s Co‑Host
Meanwhile, the global frontline – from the UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres to the U.S. Treasury – has stepped in with a big disappointed sigh. “They broke promises about women’s rights and that’s why folks can’t fix the economy. Women off the workforce? Not a good plan.”
- The U.S. has blocked more than US$9 billion (S$12.2 billion) of Afghan reserves held abroad. Muttaqi called for lifting the block – but also reminded that Afghan folks wield enough money from taxes, customs, and farm sales if the funds stay locked up.
- He boasted: Taliban control the full country and tames the threat from Islamic State (referred to sparingly as “Daesh,” a far‑away word for chaos). He said that global pressure actually boosts the IS morale.
Bottom Line?
So, the message from Doha: “We’re ready for a friendly handshake; but let’s not press too hard on this girls’ school issue. It’s not a sprint.” The world’s shrugged, the U.N. answered, and the teenagers? Still waiting for the next theme song.
