Taliban fighters set Afghan woman afire for 'bad cooking' after vowing to respect women’s rights
An Afghan woman was reportedly set ablaze by Taliban fighters because they were dissatisfied with her cooking. The alleged incident revealed Najla Ayoubi, a former judge and campaigner against violence against women who had to flee after the government collapsed.
Ayoubi said that she had received multiple reports of casual abuse of women by the fundamentalist group. "They are forcing people to give them food and cook them food," she said. "They also force families to marry their young daughters to Taliban fighters. I don't see where is the promise that they think women should be going to work when we are seeing all of these atrocities."
READ MORE
Is Salima Mazari OK? Female Afghan governor who took up arms against Taliban captured
Shabnam Mobarez's net worth: Afghan women's soccer captain urges FIFA to save her teammates
Earlier this week, the Taliban vowed to respect women’s rights, however, many Afghans remain skeptical of this promise -- as can be observed from horror stories of thousands of people’s desperate attempts to flee the country. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s longtime spokesman, promised the fundamentalist group would honor women’s rights within the norms of Islamic law, without elaborating. The Taliban has encouraged women to return to work and has allowed girls to return to school, handing out Islamic headscarves at the door.
Women's rights were severely suppressed when the group last ruled the country between 1996 and 2001 before the US-led invasion drove them out of power following the 9/11 attack. In that era, Afghan women were not allowed to work, study, or be treated by male doctors unless accompanied by a male chaperone. Punishment for violations of rules was severe.
Salima Mazari, one of the only three women governors of Afghanistan, spoke about the fundamentalist group’s misogyny before she was taken into custody by the Taliban. "Taliban are exactly the ones who trample human rights," Mazari told AFP on August 6. "There will be no place for women," said Mazari on August 14 in an interview with the Associated Press. "In the provinces controlled by the Taliban, no women exist there anymore, not even in the cities. They are all imprisoned in their homes."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday, August 21, pledged more humanitarian aid for Afghanistan while calling on the international community to help resettle refugees. Von der Leyen said that despite the Taliban’s promises of being moderate, there have already been numerous reports of oppression targeting women, revenge killings, and abductions. “Not a single euro can go to a regime … that denies women and girls their full freedom and rights to education and careers,” she said. “The situation is still very unclear and very unpredictable. We will measure [the Taliban] above all by their deeds and their actions.”
On July 12 in Faryab province, CNN reported, a woman called Najia was at home with her three young sons and daughter when Taliban fighters knocked on their door. Najia's daughter Manizha knew they were coming -- her mother had told her they'd done the same thing the previous three days, demanding that she cook food for up to 15 fighters.
"My mother told them, 'I am poor, how can I cook for you?'" said Manizha. "(The Taliban) started beating her. My mother collapsed, and they hit her with their guns -- AK47s." Manizha said she yelled at the fighters to stop. They paused for a moment before throwing a grenade into the next room and fleeing as the flames spread, she said. The mother of four died from the beating.