Taliban reject US criticism of not being ‘inclusive’ enough

Jihad Watch has been consistently warning that the Taliban is a jihadist group, similar to the Islamic State with the goal of establishing the Sharia regionally, and ultimately globally. The group is not capable of being “inclusive” by Western standards because it does not support Western ideologies. It is committed to Sharia, including martyrdom in the way of Allah. The Taliban have employed a stratagem of fooling gullible Western leaders into believing they are open to negotiations.

The Taliban are employing taqiyya to deceive Westerners. The group seeks a continued supply of Western donations to fund its ambitions of Sharia implementation and expansion, while lying about “inclusiveness” and “humanitarianism.”

Sharia does not recognize the rights of women. Women are regarded as inferior to men, and may be beaten by men, while infidel women may be taken as sex slaves. The Taliban ascribe to the full tenets of Sharia.

“Taliban Reject Fresh US Criticism of Kabul Government,” by Ayaz Gul, Voice of America, February 21, 2022:

Afghanistan’s Taliban Monday strongly defended their government against fresh criticism by the United States that the male-only leadership in Kabul is “dominated by one ethnicity” and lacks inclusivity.

“This is invalid and we reject it,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told VOA when asked for his reaction to the critical remarks made by the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Tom West.

“In our government, all the requirements within the framework of our society and values have been taken into consideration,” Mujahid insisted.

West said Saturday, while speaking at an international security conference in Germany, that his meetings with Taliban leaders on respecting women’s rights to education and work have been productive, but he found them “rigid” on the question of a representative government.

“There is not one woman in a position of leadership in this government. Overwhelmingly it is dominated by one ethnicity. I think there is a dearth of professionals at the senior most levels of this government who are exceedingly well-educated,” West said.

The Taliban are ethnic Pashtun, the majority group in Afghanistan, and their interim Cabinet mostly consists of senior leaders of the group, including those who are under longstanding terrorism-related U.S. and United Nations sanctions.

The Islamist group regained power from the now-deposed Western-backed government in August and the U.S. along with its NATO allies withdrew all troops from the war-torn country after 20 years.

The Taliban quickly installed an interim government, known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, but the international community has not yet recognized them as the legitimate rulers of the country.

Before considering the legitimacy issue, foreign governments want the hardline group to govern the country through a broad-based ruling system that represents all Afghan ethnicities, respects human rights, including women’s rights to education and work, and disallows terrorists from using the country for cross-border attacks.

Restrictions on women

The Taliban had banned females from education and work in their previous government from 1996 to 2001. Since returning to power six months ago, the hardline group has placed restrictions on women such as requiring them to wear hijab and undertake long road trips only if accompanied by a close male relative.

Most public sector women employees, except for those in the health and education departments, have not been allowed to resume their duties.

Monday, the Taliban Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention Vice, responsible for administering the group’s strict interpretation of Islam, announced that female government employees will be dismissed from jobs if they do not wear all-covering hijabs or veils while at work.

However, the Taliban have opened private and public universities to female students and have pledged to allow all school-age girls back to school in late March. They have blamed delays on financial constraints and the time it takes to ensure that female students resume classes in accordance with Islamic Sharia law.

West stressed on Saturday that Washington is not alone in urging the Taliban to meet the international expectations, saying that Afghanistan’s neighbors along with regional countries, including China, Iran and Russia, are also backing the call.

Taliban leaders traveled to Qatar last week for the latest round of meetings with foreign government representatives, including diplomats from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), on a range of issues, including diplomatic recognition for their government and economic as well as humanitarian aid for Afghanistan……