Last week’s clash in Parwan province, dubbed the “Battle of Salang,” was the most recent battle of the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) against the Taliban, resulting in the deaths of seven AFF soldiers. AFF, predominantly comprised of military, police, and intelligence personnel from Afghanistan’s previous republican regime, is one of the three currents that are openly fighting against the Taliban’s policies. Three distinct factions are currently active in challenging the Taliban’s rule: protesting women, AFF, and the National Resistance Front (NRF), each representing civil, armed, and political interests.
Two days after the fall of Afghanistan’s republican regime and the rise of the Taliban group in 2021, women took to the streets of Kabul to launch a civil movement against this terrorist group. Almost twenty months have passed since the Taliban seized power, and since then, women — especially young girls — have formed over ten protest groups within the city of Kabul alone, which have garnered significant support in various provinces. These groups have also united to form an alliance consisting of at least six of them, organizing joint or simultaneous protests in different parts of Kabul, as well as in Balkh, Herat, Badakhshan, Bamyan, Takhar, and Ghor provinces.
The slogans, statements, and resolutions announced by the protesting women in their demonstrations and news conferences make their desires clear: a world without terrorism, a free and independent Afghanistan, and a society based on equality.
The demands, suggestions, and criticisms of the protesting women have been directed toward the international community, particularly the United Nations. Through their messages, they warn the world about the dangers of terrorism and emphasize the need for a joint fight against terrorism, including the presence of the Taliban. The protesting women believe that the root cause of the growth and development of terrorism in the world is the presence of the Taliban in power. As such, they stress the importance of the international community standing by the people of Afghanistan, in accordance with the international conventions, and supporting those fighting to remove the Taliban from power and free the country from their occupation.
The protesting women also seek to build an equal society, which they believe can only be achieved through ensuring gender equality. As women, as the largest social stratum, make up half of society’s population and have been discriminated against and oppressed regardless of their ethnicity, language, religion, geography, or political views, achieving justice and equality in the country requires removing the gender barrier and empowering women through political support and public education. The Taliban, however, has made gender apartheid the cornerstone of their policies. They have removed women from power and politics, and all possibilities of gender equality have been eliminated from society. Moreover, they have strengthened systematic discrimination by spreading fear and restrictions in society and teaching gender apartheid in schools, religious schools, and universities.
Women have repeatedly drawn attention to the situation and actions of the Taliban, emphasizing that overthrowing the Taliban is the only way to overcome the crisis in Afghanistan and establish a democratic, inclusive government where citizens are judged based on merit, rather than gender or ethnicity.
Following the fall of Kabul, the National Resistance Front (NRF), led by Ahmad Massoud, established its base of resistance in Panjshir province and remains in an anti-Taliban position. Despite the Taliban’s takeover of Panjshir province and the killing of many soldiers of the NRF, members of the front continue to operate in various parts of the country, including Panjshir, Parwan, Kapisa, Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Takhar. NRF has always demonstrated support for the positions of protesting women against the Taliban in meetings, news conferences, and various announcements.
According to reports published by the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), this front is mostly comprised of soldiers of the Afghan army, police, and national security forces who served under the Republican regime. AFF is active in several provinces, including Kabul, Parwan, Panjshir, and Kapisa, and engages in guerrilla warfare against the Taliban. The AFF’s messages and declarations clearly emphasize their commitment to armed resistance and the overthrow of the Taliban. It takes responsibility for various operations against Taliban positions and demonstrates a cohesive and unified approach, despite its use of sporadic guerrilla warfare tactics.
Like the National Resistance Front and the protesting women, the Azadi Front also shares a common goal of promoting human rights, women’s rights, and gender equality in Afghanistan. This front has consistently supported the positions of protesting women and their demand for securing women’s rights in society.
The recent clash between the Freedom Front and the Taliban at Salang has reverberated throughout Afghanistan and beyond, capturing the attention of both domestic and international media. The loss of soldiers and commanders from the front has sparked widespread public outrage, with social media users and news outlets alike rallying in support of the anti-Taliban movement.
This groundswell of support for the Freedom Front underscores the deep-seated animosity that the majority of Afghans feel toward the Taliban. The Taliban’s mistreatment of women and heavy-handed tactics have long been criticized by the public, and this recent battle has only served to reinforce their negative image.
As the Taliban continue to consolidate its power all over the country, many are left hoping that pockets of resistance will continue to emerge across the country. Despite the challenges ahead, the public’s unwavering support for the Freedom Front and other anti-Taliban movements suggests that the fight for freedom and democracy in Afghanistan is far from over.
The deep-seated resentment towards the Taliban among the people of Afghanistan cannot be overstated. Any movement that opposes their extremist ideology and barbaric tactics is met with widespread support and admiration among the people. This sentiment is underscored by the harsh reality of life under the Taliban’s rule, which has been characterized by the brutal suppression of women’s rights defenders, the systematic persecution and killing of political opponents and critics, the forced displacement and massacres of ethnic groups such as Hazaras, Tajiks, and Uzbeks and the creation of suicide squads that pose a serious threat not only to the security of the region but also to the global community at large. The Taliban have included all of these items in their plan and are actively implementing them.
For the past two years, many political parties and leaders in Turkey and other parts of the world have been engaged in power-sharing negotiations with the Taliban, and some other prominent figures, both women and men, are advocating for the recognition and survival of the Taliban due to their ethnic ties. While women’s movement, the Afghanistan Freedom Front, and the National Resistance Front, as the civil, armed, and political groups, are standing with the Afghan people to persuade both the citizens of Afghanistan and the global community to “remove the Taliban from power.” They argue that a Taliban-led Afghanistan can never truly experience freedom, security, democracy, and equality. Hence, it is essential to overthrow the Taliban to ensure a safer and more prosperous world.
