Can the Afghan Taliban address minorities’ and women’s issues?

Last month, the Afghan Taliban nominated a Shiite Muslim from the Hazara community as its chief in the district of Balkhab in the northern province of Sar-e-Pul. This has come as a surprise to many. 

The group’s stark differences with the Hazara Shia community have been a grave reality of a not so distant past. So, what has changed now?

In my conversation with Sohail Shaheen, the Doha based spokesperson for the Taliban, on what exactly their ideology and attitude toward religious and ethnic segments is, he said the group wanted an ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,’ but that didn’t mean that it didn’t belong to the Shias, Tajeks or Uzbeks. 

“The impression that Sunni Pashtuns have the ambitions to dominate other people of Afghanistan is baseless. Afghanistan belongs to everyone equally,” Shaheen said.

It is clear the Taliban are trying, ahead of intra-Afghan dialogue, to give out a message to the Shia minority in Afghanistan that says: we are not your enemy, and times are changing. 

But the differences between Taliban and the Afghan government don’t paint a positive picture for the initiation of intra-Afghan dialogue to pave the way for a peaceful Afghanistan. 

Women’s rights issues should be central to any framework for the future of a peaceful Afghanistan. Ever since the peace process began, a lot of women’s rights activists feared for the loss of the rights they had gained in the last 18 years.  During Taliban rule from 1996-2001 women were banned from participation in public life and education. But now, the group’s language has changed. 

Naila Mahsud

For Shaheen, the Taliban have no “ulterior designs” to defy talks with the Afghan government. 

“It is common sense that for a peaceful Afghanistan every party has to be on board,” he said.

According to Hikmat Safi, a Kabul based analyst, the Taliban have reformed into more of a polished political entity than a religious force. Safi who talked to me over the phone from Kabul added that Taliban’s behavior showed that the group now wanted to engage with the nations of the region through diplomatic means.

But perhaps most importantly, it is women’s rights issues that should be central to any framework for the future of a peaceful Afghanistan. Ever since the peace process has begun, women’s rights activists have feared they might lose the rights they’ve gained over the last 18 years. 

During Taliban rule from 1996-2001, women were banned from participation in public life and education. But now, it appears the group’s language has changed. 

“In all our conferences, we have announced that we will ensure education for women, their right to work and their right to conduct businesses,” Shaheen said.

“Yes, Afghanistan will be a functional Islamic state and just like in any other Islamic state, there will be some principles which every citizen will have to abide by,” he added. 

He also said the issues related to women’s rights would be further addressed in times to come, and that the Taliban welcomed any concerns Afghanistan’s women might come forward with.

Farkhanza Zahra Nadera, an ex-member of the Afghan Parliament and former adviser to President Ashraf Ghani in the United Nations, believes that Taliban need to bring positive changes in the life of people, mainly women, in areas under their control. 

“Every party in Afghanistan needs to ensure women’s participation. During the five years of government, women were either not included or their presence was symbolic in the peace negotiations,” she said. 

Historically speaking, monopoly on power in Afghanistan hasn’t worked out for many in the long run. 

Now, every party to the peace agreement needs to pour in its sincere efforts to save the ordinary people of Afghanistan from the agony of war and to learn how to co-exist peacefully. 

*Naila Mahsud is a Pakistani political and International relations researcher, with a focus on regional politics and security issues. @MahsudNaila