Taliban Forms First Interim Government
After the recent seizure of Afghanistan, the Taliban have quickly gone to work establishing a temporary caretaker government while they decide on permanent leadership. This interim government consists of members from the powerful Haqqani network and several first and second generation Taliban officials. Although the Taliban had previously asserted that their governmental body would be more tolerant and inclusive of various backgrounds, their government totally excludes women and members of any other ethnic or religious minorities. This does not bode well for the future of the government, and the European Union, the United Nations, and the United States have all voiced concerns over its current state.
The issue of corruption and violence in the region has only been exacerbated by placing these Haqqani officials (Notoriously one of the most dangerous factions under the Taliban umbrella) in some of the top positions of power in the interior government. This current organization completely consolidates all legislative and military capabilities to these individuals, who will be able to operate unchecked by legal concerns. In addition, this apparent disregard for merit-based election implies a general disregard for establishing a stable and more democratic system. This in turn exacerbates the issue of international relations within the region as well, as it indicates more emphasis on control and protecting the regime than actually working on governing the country. If this system truly does result in less interaction with foreign nations, it would not be in the favor of Afghan citizens, as isolationist policies ensure worsened living conditions.
Another early concern for the new regime is its disregard for common humanitarian rights, as they have already made modifications to women's rights in less than two weeks of control. It is much more difficult for women to pursue higher education and many women have been removed from areas of employment in agreement with the new law. Although there are already statewide protests to these new rules, they have immediately been met with force, demonstrating the governments uncompromising stance on the topic.
Links :
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/07/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-updates/
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/9/8/what-to-make-of-the-talibans-exclusive-caretaker-government
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/8/acting-afghan-pm-calls-on-former-officials-to-return-al-jazeera
https://apnews.com/article/business-afghanistan-kabul-taliban-9d432f7b159434ebac03aa8ca6b60e0b
Grayson, what an interesting and relevant post. Very sobering to read, "their government totally excludes women and members of any other ethnic or religious minorities." I knew about the policies against female leaders, but I did not realize that only the Haqqani are in positions of power. Kudos also for addressing the international community's response and how isolation of the Taliban would potentially accelerate the disintegration of rights for women. Your blog provides the basic framework for the story (the Taliban's appointment of power to a slim minority group); the closing paragraph generates tons of questions in the mind of the reader.
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