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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Over 5,000 street children in Kano, Nigeria, are being evacuated due to economic hardship and security concerns. The Hisbah, Kano’s Islamic Sharia police, are conducting raids to relocate these children, many of whom are from broken homes or almajiri schools, to a rehabilitation camp. This initiative aims to provide psychosocial support, education, or vocational training before repatriation or reintegration into society. However, past similar efforts have proven unsuccessful, with children repeatedly returning to the streets. The current approach emphasizes rehabilitation prior to release, hoping to achieve lasting change.
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Despite Afghanistan’s geographical distance from Syria, the Taliban express significant support for Syrian rebels, driven by shared extremist Sunni ideology and a desire for the implementation of Sharia law in Syria mirroring their own governance. Although no official statement has been released, social media activity reveals considerable Taliban sympathy for the rebel cause. This support stems from perceived ideological kinship between the Taliban and Syrian jihadist groups. A senior Taliban official confirmed this, highlighting the hope for a Syria governed under Sharia law.
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The recent Taliban edict to resume stoning women to death has left me utterly horrified. As much as I try to wrap my head around their justification that they are simply enforcing their interpretation of sharia law, it still feels barbaric and inhumane. The fact that the Taliban’s supreme leader compares their actions to representing Allah and labeling those who oppose them as representing Satan is deeply disturbing. This kind of narrow-minded, extremist thinking is precisely what perpetuates violence and oppression in the name of religion.
The international community’s silence in the face of such heinous acts is equally troubling. By allowing the Taliban to carry out these punishments, we are essentially turning a blind eye to the violation of women’s rights.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker