In response to recent remarks made by the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, regarding the recognition of the Taliban terrorist group as a legitimate government of Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Women’s Solidarity Movement has urged the international community to refrain from recognizing the group.
In a protest gathering held on Thursday, April 20, 2023, in an indoor place, members of the movement denounced the possible recognition of the Taliban terrorist group as a legitimate government, branding it an “outrage to humanity.”
Video footage of the gathering depicts members of the movement chanting slogans, like “Don’t join hands with our murderers, our wounds run deep,” “No to the Taliban, no to ignorance,” “Don’t grant recognition to the Taliban,” “The United Nations, betrayer of humanity,” “Down with the terrorist group, down with the Taliban and their supporters,” and “We don’t let them bury us alive.”
In a statement delivered on camera, one member of the movement spoke directly to the people of Afghanistan, asserting that “we are confronting a worldwide conspiracy” and urging them not to allow the international community to once again turn their backs on Afghanistan and hand over the nation’s fate to their “mercenary terrorists.”
Continuing her statement, the member of the movement called on the people of Afghanistan to take a stand and refuse to remain apathetic or silent in the face of this “disgraceful global affront.”
“Let’s unite in opposition to the Taliban and its allies,” she implored her fellow citizens, emphasizing that the Afghanistan Women Solidarity Movement stands in firm opposition to this grave injustice.
According to the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, the organization is set to convene a meeting in Doha to deliberate on the terms of recognizing the Taliban group.
Speaking at Princeton University in the United States, Amina Mohammed confirmed that the forthcoming meeting in Doha is slated to feature the participation of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, as well as representatives from numerous countries worldwide.
“We hope that we’ll find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition [of the Taliban], a principled recognition,” she added. “Is it possible? I don’t know. [But] that discussion has to happen. The Taliban clearly want recognition, and that’s the leverage we have.”
Amina Mohammed’s remarks provoked a chorus of reactions and censure from a broad range of groups, including citizens, women’s protest movements, resistance fronts opposed to the Taliban group, and political currents of Afghanistan.
Afghan women have expressed outrage at the prospect of recognizing the Taliban terrorist group as a legitimate government of Afghanistan, viewing such an act as a “betrayal” of the millions of women and girls who have suffered exclusion and gender apartheid under the group’s rule. They have also cautioned that the United Nations irresponsible action could fuel the growth of terrorism and exacerbate insecurity not only in the region but also around the world.
These remarks come at a time when the Taliban have recently prohibited female employees from working in United Nations offices in Afghanistan, defying requests from the organization’s officials to rescind this inhumane mandate.
