In response to UNAMA office statements that were recently quoted by Taliban officials, protesting women of Afghanistan have issued the following press release
This UNAMA collaboration with the Taliban is totally unexpected to us as protesting women and is devastating for the people of Afghanistan. According to Taliban officials, Scott Smith, the political officer of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), is making an effort to publicize the message and lobby for a number of demands, including the Taliban’s legalization and the removal of a number of Taliban leaders from the UN’s list of “terrorists.” The Taliban’s key aspirations are to be addressed worldwide.
As protesting women, we identify the stance from UNAMA as supporting terrorism and condemn it. And we declare that as soon as possible, the political officer of the United Nations Vice-Chancellor’s Office will take a stand against these statements; Otherwise, UNAMA’s solidarity with the Taliban and the presence of this agency in Afghanistan, which has a legal, conscientious and humanitarian responsibility towards the people of our land, is condemned and will be strongly opposed by us activists and protesters.
For two years, the people have endured unimaginable anguish and pain at the hands of a tyrannical group. The dictatorial and ignorant group has made life miserable for people; some are displaced, some face discrimination, and some are massacred, oppressed, and subjected to harsh torture every day. Our people are eliminated every day because of their ethnicity, language, religion, and gender.
How can you neglect the fact that you are accountable for all human rights abuses occurring in Afghanistan, including gender discrimination, violence, and crimes against humanity?
The fact that you are collaborating with the terrorist organization is an unethical policy. You cannot overlook how severely people’s rights are being violated, and how completely they are being deprived of the freedom that is given to them as human beings. The protesting women view UNAMA’s statement as an unpleasant, repulsive, and beneficial milestone in the continuous violation of human rights in Afghanistan.
Why doesn’t UNAMA make the voice of the people heard globally?
The terrorist organization is being whitewashed by UNAMA for what reason?
You continue to oppress us in ways that are highly unfair, and history and the protesting women shall never forget this.
We, the protesting women, urge Mr. Scott Smith and his associates to read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights once in order to comprehend the foundation of UNAMA.
