The Sunday Guardian

Make no mistake, the Taliban are a terrorist organisati­on

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- SAVIO RODRIGUES PANAJI

You cannot whitewash the truth. The truth is out in the open for all humanity to see. Taliban is a face of Islamic terrorism. It is an Islamic terrorist organisati­on.

In the first six months of 2021, Taliban turned Afghanista­n into a hell hole of violence.

The Afghanista­n Independen­t Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) report reveals shocking data that 56% of all civilian casualties were caused by the Taliban—2,978 is the horrific number for death and injuries.

AIHRC report shows that in 1,594 different security incidents, a total of 5,321 civilians have been killed or injured in the first six months of 2021.

Among these civilian casualties, 1,677 were killed, and 3,644 are injured.

It’s important to note that the total number of civilian casualties in the first six months of 2020 was 2,957, including 1,213 killed and 1,744 injured.

A comparison of the abovementi­oned figures shows that civilian casualties have increased by 80% in the first six months of 2021 compared with the first six months of 2020.

The AIHRC report highlighte­d, “The Taliban is responsibl­e for 2,978 civilian casualties (917 killed, and 2,061 injured) in the first six months of 2021. The war tactics by the Taliban include the use of IEDS, rocket fires, target killing, and ground battles. The number of civilian casualties by the Taliban in the first six months of 2021 compared with the same period in the previous year has been doubled. The Taliban was responsibl­e for 1,438 civilian casualties (542 killed, and 896 injured) in the first six months of 2020.”

The number of women civilian casualties in Afghanista­n in the first six months of 2021 is 504 in total, which includes 154 killed, and 350 injured.

The number of women civilian casualties in the first six months of 2020 was 297 in total, which included 126 killed, and 171 injured.

There has been a 69% rise in women civilian casualties in the first six months of 2021 in comparison with the first six months of 2020.

In the first half of 2021, as a result of military approaches of the warring parties in the country 373 children were killed, and 1,083 others were injured.

The number of child casualties in the first six months of 2020 was 630 (225 killed, and 405 injured).

The comparison of the above figures clearly shows that war principles and internatio­nal humanitari­an law have been violated.

The number of child casualties increased by 131% in the first six months of 2021 compared to the first six months of 2020.

Afghan women have suffered tremendous­ly in Afghanista­n’s violent conflicts and have paid a heavy price.

After the fall of the Taliban government, women fought hard to gain equality and secure their basic human rights. They have made great progress on this path and, while they desperatel­y long for peace, they are now fearful that women’s human rights could be a collateral casualty in the acceptance of Taliban rule in Afghanista­n.

Girls’ school attendance in the aftermath of the fall of the earlier Taliban regime spiked as never before. Women are represente­d in almost every sector in society. More than any other time in the history of Afghanista­n, Afghan women are aware of their rights for which they have fought hard and they are determined to preserve and protect them. They also defend their rights, for example by reporting cases of domestic violence in record numbers.

In Afghanista­n, the right to life of women is violated in different forms. In addition to deaths as a result of suicide bombings and aerial attacks, and many victims of domestic violence each year, women are deprived of their right to life in extra judicial killings and targeted attacks against them. With the Taliban now controllin­g Afghanista­n the plight of women is expected to deteriorat­e further.

Globally, women have long been at the frontlines of conflict and crisis, pioneering ways to end conflict, participat­ing in peace, and advocating for the rights of women and girls in agreement seeking to end violent conflict. Yet often, women’s expertise and priorities are excluded from formal ceasefire agreements and implementa­tion mechanisms. In Afghanista­n, women continue to risk their lives every day for the sake of peace. 2020 marked the highest number of women killed since the United Nations

Assistance Mission in Afghanista­n began systematic documentat­ion in 2009.

In her briefing on 6 August 2021 to the United Nations Security Council, Shaharzad Akbar, Chairperso­n, AIHRC, expressed, “My family and I sought refuge in Pakistan when I was a child escaping conflict and Taliban’s repressive regime. 24 or so years later, millions of Afghans are looking for a way out of Afghanista­n as they do not see a future here. We cannot wait and watch the history repeating itself.”

She further told the UNSC, “One major, deeply concerning example is the rights of women and girls in areas captured by the Taliban. Women’s access to education, to markets, to basic health services is limited and shrinking. Their basic human rights denied and repressed. Afghan women across Afghanista­n are either reliving the nightmare of Taliban area or live in the fear and trauma of reliving it soon, if the tide doesn’t turn and we don’t have an opportunit­y at negotiatio­ns and meaningful participat­ion in them.”

“I am mourning another attack on Afghanista­n’s youth. Dawa Khan Mena Pal, a government official working on communicat­ions and a man known for his poetry, humor and generosity, was shot in broad daylight in Kabul today. His terror sent a chilling reminder to all civilian government employees as well as journalist­s and human rights defenders, about the frequency of targeted killings in the midst of raging war. It is also a brutal reminder of Taliban’s refusal to acknowledg­e government employees as civilians and continue to target and kill them in Kabul, Kandahar, Ghazni and across Afghanista­n. This ongoing storm of atrocities has already cost lives and has spread widespread terror and uncertaint­y, taking us further away from the possibilit­y of peace,” she expressed in anguish at the UNSC briefing. 4BWJP 3PESJHVFT JT UIF GPVOEFS BOE FEJUPS JO DIJFG PG (PB $ISPOJDMF

 ?? ANI ?? Afghan nationals and Left unions stage a protest against the takeover of Afghanista­n by Taliban, at Mandi House, in New Delhi on Monday.
ANI Afghan nationals and Left unions stage a protest against the takeover of Afghanista­n by Taliban, at Mandi House, in New Delhi on Monday.
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