Latest news with #SiddiqullahAlizai
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Afghan women barred from Taliban takeover anniversary celebrations in Kabul
Some 10,000 men gathered across the capital Kabul to watch Defence Ministry helicopters scatter flowers to the crowds below. Three of the six 'flower shower' locations were already off-limits to women because they have been prohibited from entering parks and recreational areas since November 2022. A military helicopter drops flowers over Kabul during celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Afghanistan (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) The Taliban seized Afghanistan on August 15 2021 as the US and Nato withdrew their forces at the end of a two-decade war. Since then, they have imposed their interpretation of Islamic law on daily life, including sweeping restrictions on women and girls, based on edicts from their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Friday's anniversary programme, which also comprised speeches from key cabinet members, was only for men. An outdoor sports performance, initially expected to feature Afghan athletes, did not take place. Rights groups, foreign governments and the UN have condemned the Taliban for their treatment of women and girls, who remain barred from education beyond sixth grade, many jobs, and most public spaces. Members of the United Afghan Women's Movement for Freedom staged an indoor protest on Friday in north-east Takhar province against Taliban rule. 'This day marked the beginning of a black domination that excluded women from work, education, and social life,' the movement said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. 'We, the protesting women, remember this day not as a memory, but as an open wound of history, a wound that has not yet healed. The fall of Afghanistan was not the fall of our will. We stand, even in the darkness.' Soldiers affiliated to the Defence Ministry stand in guard at Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul during a meeting of delegates from across Afghanistan marking the start of celebrations of the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) There was also an indoor protest in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Afghan women held up signs that said 'Forgiving the Taliban is an act of enmity against humanity' and 'August 15th is a dark day.' The women were fully veiled, except for their eyes, in the photographs. Earlier in the day, the Taliban leader warned God would severely punish Afghans who were ungrateful for Islamic rule in the country, according to a statement. Mr Akhundzada, who is seldom seen in public, said in a statement that Afghans had endured hardships and made sacrifices for almost 50 years so that Islamic law, or Sharia, could be established. Sharia had saved people from 'corruption, oppression, usurpation, drugs, theft, robbery, and plunder'. 'These are great divine blessings that our people should not forget and, during the commemoration of Victory Day (August 15), express great gratitude to Allah Almighty so that the blessings will increase,' said Mr Akhundzada in comments shared on the social platform X. 'If, against God's will, we fail to express gratitude for blessings and are ungrateful for them, we will be subjected to the severe punishment of Allah Almighty,' he said. The Taliban's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi addresses delegates from across Afghanistan at Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) Cabinet members gave speeches listing the administration's achievements and highlighting diplomatic progress. Those who spoke included foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. On Wednesday, at a cabinet meeting in Kandahar, Mr Akhundzada said the stability of the Taliban government lay in the acquisition of religious knowledge. He urged the promotion of religious awareness, the discouragement of immoral conduct, the protection of citizens from harmful ideologies, and the instruction of Afghans in matters of faith and creed, according to a statement shared by government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat. Mr Akhundzada ordered the Kabul Municipality to build more mosques, and there was a general focus on identifying means to 'further consolidate and fortify' the Islamic government, said Mr Fitrat. This year's anniversary celebrations are more muted than last year's, when the Taliban staged a military parade at a US airbase, drawing anger from President Donald Trump about the abandoned American hardware on display. The country is also gripped by a humanitarian crisis made worse by climate change, millions of Afghans expelled from Iran and Pakistan, and a sharp drop in donor funding.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Afghan women barred from Taliban takeover anniversary celebrations in Kabul
Afghan women were barred from attending celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power on Friday. Some 10,000 men gathered across the capital Kabul to watch Defence Ministry helicopters scatter flowers to the crowds below. Three of the six 'flower shower' locations were already off-limits to women because they have been prohibited from entering parks and recreational areas since November 2022. A military helicopter drops flowers over Kabul during celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Afghanistan (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) The Taliban seized Afghanistan on August 15 2021 as the US and Nato withdrew their forces at the end of a two-decade war. Since then, they have imposed their interpretation of Islamic law on daily life, including sweeping restrictions on women and girls, based on edicts from their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Friday's anniversary programme, which also comprised speeches from key cabinet members, was only for men. An outdoor sports performance, initially expected to feature Afghan athletes, did not take place. Rights groups, foreign governments and the UN have condemned the Taliban for their treatment of women and girls, who remain barred from education beyond sixth grade, many jobs, and most public spaces. Members of the United Afghan Women's Movement for Freedom staged an indoor protest on Friday in north-east Takhar province against Taliban rule. 'This day marked the beginning of a black domination that excluded women from work, education, and social life,' the movement said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. 'We, the protesting women, remember this day not as a memory, but as an open wound of history, a wound that has not yet healed. The fall of Afghanistan was not the fall of our will. We stand, even in the darkness.' Soldiers affiliated to the Defence Ministry stand in guard at Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul during a meeting of delegates from across Afghanistan marking the start of celebrations of the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule (Si There was also an indoor protest in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Afghan women held up signs that said 'Forgiving the Taliban is an act of enmity against humanity' and 'August 15th is a dark day.' The women were fully veiled, except for their eyes, in the photographs. Earlier in the day, the Taliban leader warned God would severely punish Afghans who were ungrateful for Islamic rule in the country, according to a statement. Mr Akhundzada, who is seldom seen in public, said in a statement that Afghans had endured hardships and made sacrifices for almost 50 years so that Islamic law, or Sharia, could be established. Sharia had saved people from 'corruption, oppression, usurpation, drugs, theft, robbery, and plunder'. 'These are great divine blessings that our people should not forget and, during the commemoration of Victory Day (August 15), express great gratitude to Allah Almighty so that the blessings will increase,' said Mr Akhundzada in comments shared on the social platform X. 'If, against God's will, we fail to express gratitude for blessings and are ungrateful for them, we will be subjected to the severe punishment of Allah Almighty,' he said. The Taliban's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi addresses delegates from across Afghanistan at Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) Cabinet members gave speeches listing the administration's achievements and highlighting diplomatic progress. Those who spoke included foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. On Wednesday, at a cabinet meeting in Kandahar, Mr Akhundzada said the stability of the Taliban government lay in the acquisition of religious knowledge. He urged the promotion of religious awareness, the discouragement of immoral conduct, the protection of citizens from harmful ideologies, and the instruction of Afghans in matters of faith and creed, according to a statement shared by government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat. Mr Akhundzada ordered the Kabul Municipality to build more mosques, and there was a general focus on identifying means to 'further consolidate and fortify' the Islamic government, said Mr Fitrat. This year's anniversary celebrations are more muted than last year's, when the Taliban staged a military parade at a US airbase, drawing anger from President Donald Trump about the abandoned American hardware on display. The country is also gripped by a humanitarian crisis made worse by climate change, millions of Afghans expelled from Iran and Pakistan, and a sharp drop in donor funding.
Western Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Afghan women barred from Taliban takeover anniversary celebrations in Kabul
Some 10,000 men gathered across the capital Kabul to watch Defence Ministry helicopters scatter flowers to the crowds below. Three of the six 'flower shower' locations were already off-limits to women because they have been prohibited from entering parks and recreational areas since November 2022. A military helicopter drops flowers over Kabul during celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Afghanistan (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) The Taliban seized Afghanistan on August 15 2021 as the US and Nato withdrew their forces at the end of a two-decade war. Since then, they have imposed their interpretation of Islamic law on daily life, including sweeping restrictions on women and girls, based on edicts from their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Friday's anniversary programme, which also comprised speeches from key cabinet members, was only for men. An outdoor sports performance, initially expected to feature Afghan athletes, did not take place. Rights groups, foreign governments and the UN have condemned the Taliban for their treatment of women and girls, who remain barred from education beyond sixth grade, many jobs, and most public spaces. Members of the United Afghan Women's Movement for Freedom staged an indoor protest on Friday in north-east Takhar province against Taliban rule. 'This day marked the beginning of a black domination that excluded women from work, education, and social life,' the movement said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. 'We, the protesting women, remember this day not as a memory, but as an open wound of history, a wound that has not yet healed. The fall of Afghanistan was not the fall of our will. We stand, even in the darkness.' Soldiers affiliated to the Defence Ministry stand in guard at Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul during a meeting of delegates from across Afghanistan marking the start of celebrations of the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) There was also an indoor protest in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Afghan women held up signs that said 'Forgiving the Taliban is an act of enmity against humanity' and 'August 15th is a dark day.' The women were fully veiled, except for their eyes, in the photographs. Earlier in the day, the Taliban leader warned God would severely punish Afghans who were ungrateful for Islamic rule in the country, according to a statement. Mr Akhundzada, who is seldom seen in public, said in a statement that Afghans had endured hardships and made sacrifices for almost 50 years so that Islamic law, or Sharia, could be established. Sharia had saved people from 'corruption, oppression, usurpation, drugs, theft, robbery, and plunder'. 'These are great divine blessings that our people should not forget and, during the commemoration of Victory Day (August 15), express great gratitude to Allah Almighty so that the blessings will increase,' said Mr Akhundzada in comments shared on the social platform X. 'If, against God's will, we fail to express gratitude for blessings and are ungrateful for them, we will be subjected to the severe punishment of Allah Almighty,' he said. The Taliban's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi addresses delegates from across Afghanistan at Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) Cabinet members gave speeches listing the administration's achievements and highlighting diplomatic progress. Those who spoke included foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. On Wednesday, at a cabinet meeting in Kandahar, Mr Akhundzada said the stability of the Taliban government lay in the acquisition of religious knowledge. He urged the promotion of religious awareness, the discouragement of immoral conduct, the protection of citizens from harmful ideologies, and the instruction of Afghans in matters of faith and creed, according to a statement shared by government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat. Mr Akhundzada ordered the Kabul Municipality to build more mosques, and there was a general focus on identifying means to 'further consolidate and fortify' the Islamic government, said Mr Fitrat. This year's anniversary celebrations are more muted than last year's, when the Taliban staged a military parade at a US airbase, drawing anger from President Donald Trump about the abandoned American hardware on display. The country is also gripped by a humanitarian crisis made worse by climate change, millions of Afghans expelled from Iran and Pakistan, and a sharp drop in donor funding.
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Taliban leader warns God will severely punish Afghans who are ungrateful for Islamic rule
A man poses for the camera next to his bicycle while selling Taliban flags ahead of celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the beginning of Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai) ISLAMABAD — The Taliban leader warned God would severely punish Afghans who are ungrateful for Islamic rule in the country, according to a statement released Friday marking the fourth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power. The Taliban seized Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021, as the U.S. and NATO withdrew their forces at the end of a two-decade war. Since then, they have imposed their interpretation of Islamic law on daily life, including sweeping restrictions on women and girls, based on edicts from their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Akhundzada, who is seldom seen in public, said in a statement that Afghans had endured hardships and made sacrifices for almost 50 years so that Islamic law, or Sharia, could be established. Sharia had saved people from 'corruption, oppression, usurpation, drugs, theft, robbery, and plunder.' His statement was shared on the social platform X by the Taliban's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid. 'These are great divine blessings that our people should not forget and, during the commemoration of Victory Day (Aug. 15), express great gratitude to Allah Almighty so that the blessings will increase,' said Akhundzada. 'If, against God's will, we fail to express gratitude for blessings and are ungrateful for them, we will be subjected to the severe punishment of Allah Almighty.' He also instructed the Cabinet and ministers to drop the word 'acting' from their job titles, signifying the permanence of a Taliban administration in Afghanistan and the lack of challengers to their rule. On Wednesday, at a Cabinet meeting in Kandahar, Akhundzada said the stability of the Taliban government lay in the acquisition of religious knowledge. He urged the promotion of religious awareness, the discouragement of immoral conduct, the protection of citizens from harmful ideologies, and the instruction of Afghans in matters of faith and creed, according to a statement from another government spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat. Akhundzada ordered the Kabul Municipality to build more mosques, and there was a general focus on identifying means to 'further consolidate and fortify' the Islamic government, said Fitrat. Flower showers outside, women protest inside The country is gripped by a humanitarian crisis made worse by climate change, millions of Afghans expelled from Iran and Pakistan, and a sharp drop in donor funding. This year's anniversary celebrations are more muted than last year's, when the Taliban staged a military parade at a U.S. airbase. Officials have planned aerial floral showers and a sports display in the capital, Kabul. Cabinet members gave speeches earlier Friday listing the administration's achievements and highlighting diplomatic progress. Rights groups, foreign governments, and the UN have condemned the Taliban for their treatment of women and girls, who remain barred from education beyond sixth grade, many jobs, and most public spaces. Some venues for the official anniversary celebrations are off-limits to females because they are forbidden from entering parks and other recreational areas. Members of the United Afghan Women's Movement for Freedom staged an indoor protest on Friday in northeast Takhar province against Taliban rule. 'This day marked the beginning of a black domination that excluded women from work, education, and social life,' Parisa Mobariz said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. 'We, the protesting women, remember this day not as a memory, but as an open wound of history, a wound that has not yet healed. The fall of Afghanistan was not the fall of our will. We stand, even in the darkness.' There was also an indoor protest in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Afghan women held up signs that said 'Forgiving the Taliban is an act of enmity against humanity' and 'August 15th is a dark day.' The women were fully veiled, except for their eyes, in the photographs. The Associated Press
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
The Taliban will shower Kabul with flowers from helicopters for their takeover anniversary
Published Aug 14, 2025 • 2 minute read A man waves Taliban flags for sale amid traffic ahead of celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the start of Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. Photo by Siddiqullah Alizai / AP Photo ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban will shower Kabul with flowers from helicopters to mark the fourth anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan, an official said Thursday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Taliban seized control of the country on Aug. 15, 2021, weeks before the U.S. and NATO withdrew their forces after a costly, two-decade war. Defence Ministry helicopters will perform 'beautiful aerial displays' above the Afghan capital on Friday to 'shower the city' with colorful flowers, according to a note from Habib Ghofran, the spokesperson for the Information and Culture Ministry. There will be sports performances from Afghan athletes from the afternoon until the early evening, said Ghofran. The planned celebrations come as Afghanistan struggles with a massive influx of refugees from neighbouring countries, a faltering economy and cuts in foreign funding, especially from the U.S. Almost 10 million people face acute food insecurity and one in three children is stunted. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Black and white Taliban flags were displayed across Kabul on Thursday. Ahsan Ullah Khan, from northern Sar-e-Pul province, encouraged the Afghan diaspora to return so they could see how peaceful the country was and how happy people were. But Kabul resident, Zafar Momand, said Afghans needed more than peace. 'Along with peace we need employment and education opportunities. If these problems are solved then Afghanistan is the best country to live in,' Momand said. 'Women are also an important part of society. They should also have education and work opportunities.' Females are barred from education beyond sixth grade, many jobs and most public spaces. It was not immediately clear if women would be present at or permitted to attend the anniversary festivities. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The director-general of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, said Thursday that Afghanistan stood out as the only country in the world where secondary and higher education was strictly forbidden for girls and women. 'Nearly 2.2 million of them are now barred from attending school beyond primary level due to this regressive decision,' said Azoulay. 'This exclusion of women from public life has disastrous consequences for the country's long-term development, where half the population already lives below the poverty line.' Last year's takeover anniversary celebrations were held at Bagram Airfield, once the center of America's war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks. Women were barred from that event, including female journalists from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls World Columnists Toronto & GTA
