Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, a senior Taliban official, publicly urged the leadership to reopen schools for Afghan girls, arguing that the current restrictions violate Islamic Sharia law and unjustly affect half the population. He highlighted the historical precedent of women’s education during the Prophet Muhammad’s time. This rebuke comes amid international condemnation of the Taliban’s policies on women’s education and rights, which have stalled the possibility of international recognition for the group. Stanekzai’s statement represents a significant internal challenge to the supreme leader’s decision to keep schools closed.
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Nearly 1,660 Afghan refugees, cleared for resettlement in the United States, are facing flight cancellations due to a Trump administration order suspending U.S. refugee programs. This impacts a diverse group of individuals, including unaccompanied minors seeking family reunification and Afghans who risked their lives fighting alongside the former U.S.-backed Afghan government and now face potential Taliban retribution. The sheer scale of the cancellations – nearly 1,660 individuals – underscores the significant impact of this policy decision.
This situation highlights the precarious position of those who aided the U.S. military during the conflict in Afghanistan. Many risked their lives and the lives of their families in support of U.S.… Continue reading
A senior Taliban official, Sher Abbas Stanikzai, publicly urged the group’s leadership to overturn the ban on female education in Afghanistan. He argued the ban lacks religious justification and constitutes an injustice against millions of Afghan women. This call, though previously echoed by Stanikzai, marks a direct appeal to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada for policy change. However, women’s rights advocates remain skeptical, viewing the statement as a potential attempt by the Taliban to improve their international image rather than a genuine commitment to reform. The ongoing restrictions on women’s rights in Afghanistan remain a major concern for the international community.
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Sher Abbas Stanikzai, a senior Taliban official, publicly urged the group’s leader to overturn the ban on female education in Afghanistan. Stanikzai stated there is no religious or logical justification for denying education to women and girls, directly appealing to leader Hibatullah Akhundzada for policy change. This marks a significant escalation of his previous calls for educational rights, representing a rare public rebuke of Taliban policy within the group. The ban impacts approximately half of Afghanistan’s population, severely limiting their opportunities.
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Sher Abbas Stanikzai, a high-ranking Taliban official, publicly urged leader Hibatullah Akhundzada to overturn the ban on female education beyond the sixth grade, citing a lack of religious justification and the detrimental impact on the nation. Stanikzai’s appeal, delivered at a religious school and on social media, directly challenges existing policies restricting women’s access to education and healthcare. This represents a significant escalation of his previous advocacy, explicitly questioning the legitimacy of current restrictions. The call comes amid international pressure and ongoing diplomatic efforts with countries like Russia and India, with the UN stressing that international recognition hinges on the Taliban’s reversal of these discriminatory policies.
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At a summit in Islamabad, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai condemned the Taliban’s policies in Afghanistan as “gender apartheid,” urging Muslim leaders to denounce the regime’s actions against women and girls’ education. Yousafzai highlighted the complete lack of educational opportunities for women and girls and stressed that these policies violate Islamic principles. She called for the international community to recognize these actions as a crime against humanity. The Taliban’s refusal to comment underscores the severity of the situation, leaving nearly 1.5 million Afghan women and girls without access to secondary and higher education. This systematic oppression, characterized by severe restrictions on movement, work, and freedom of speech, creates a de facto prison for women in Afghanistan.
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A joint investigation by The Insider and Der Spiegel reveals that the Russian GRU, between 2016 and 2019, allegedly paid Taliban and other militant groups up to $200,000 per US/coalition soldier killed, totaling an estimated $30 million. The scheme utilized a network of Afghan couriers, operating under the guise of a gemstone trading company, to distribute funds coordinated by GRU officers like Alexey Arkhipov and overseen by Lieutenant General Ivan Kasyanenko. Key figures such as Rahmatullah Azizi, a central operative, relocated to Russia after the operation’s exposure. These payments fueled attacks against coalition forces, with the investigation highlighting hindered official inquiries and US reluctance to acknowledge the program’s existence.
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Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province killed at least 46 civilians, mostly women and children, prompting a strong protest from the Afghan Taliban government, which vowed retaliation. The strikes, reportedly targeting a Pakistani Taliban (TTP) camp, followed a TTP attack in Pakistan. Afghanistan’s foreign office summoned Pakistan’s envoy to lodge a formal complaint, citing a violation of international principles. The incident further exacerbates already tense relations between the neighboring countries.
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The Taliban’s recent decree banning windows overlooking areas frequented by women is, frankly, astounding. It’s a chilling escalation of their already oppressive regime, taking control not just over women’s actions, but their very ability to observe the world around them. The justification, that seeing women in everyday activities like working in kitchens, courtyards, or collecting water might lead to “obscene acts,” is preposterous. It paints a picture of men so utterly lacking in self-control that the mere sight of a woman performing ordinary tasks is enough to incite them to commit immoral acts. This isn’t about protecting women; it’s about controlling them, confining them, and silencing them.… Continue reading
The Taliban’s Economy Ministry issued a decree mandating the immediate cessation of all NGO employment of women, threatening license revocation for non-compliance. This action follows a previous directive and escalates the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s participation in the workforce, despite international condemnation and documented interference with humanitarian aid. The decree is the latest in a series of actions severely limiting women’s rights and public freedoms. Additionally, a separate decree from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada mandates the obstruction of windows overlooking areas where women might be present in both new and existing buildings.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood