The Carleton University Human Rights Society (CUHRS) and Carleton Afghan Students Association (CASA) condemned the Taliban’s human rights violations in Afghanistan in a joint statement shared on Nov. 30.
“[The Taliban] has implemented measures resulting in the great suffering of women, children, men and all those who attempt to oppose or criticize their regime,” the statement wrote.
In August 2021, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and its government. This came as the United States officially withdrew its final forces from the country after 20 years of conflict. Since then, Taliban rule has resulted in a humanitarian crisis including conflict, poverty and widespread disease.
The statement asserted past actions of the international community, including the U.S.-led war and Pakistan’s previous support for the Taliban, have contributed to the “upkeep of the current situation.”
Ramzy Ahmed, CASA’s vice-president internal, said it was important for CASA to put out a statement because she believes the crises in Afghanistan are not discussed enough.
“If we don’t talk about it now, then no one will talk about it ever,” she said. “It’s something that always gets pushed to the side.”
CASA collaborated with the human rights society to ensure the statement reached a wider audience and to educate students about the crisis, Ahmed said.
More than 20 million people are facing life-threatening levels of food insecurity in Afghanistan, with almost five million people facing displacement
Sienna Scullion, CUHRS vice-president of research, said the society hopes the statement will show people how “severe” the human rights violations are.
“With everything going on in the world, it’s easy for certain countries and issues to be overshadowed,” Scullion said.
The joint statement detailed the many human rights violations women in Afghanistan face, including prohibiting access to education and work.
“Women are silenced by being forbidden from speaking or singing, particularly in public spaces,” the statement wrote. It also claimed free movement has been restricted, as women are required to have a male chaperone when in public.
CUHRS and CASA also condemned the harm inflicted upon Afghan children, who “are often prevented from going to school and forced to work in subpar conditions below the recognized minimum age of work.”
The statement also recognized the laws that affect men, including clothing and hair laws, and banning of social events.
Suzan Chakra, a third-year neuroscience student at Carleton, said she believes attending a diverse university in a diverse country makes it vital for Carleton students to learn about issues affecting various people.
“It is our obligation to understand each other and support each other, because that is what a community does,” Chakra said.
Ahmed said she wants people to know that despite the Taliban acting as the current government of Afghanistan, it does not share the same beliefs as the majority of Afghans.
“They took over our country and created such a big misrepresentation to the point where us Afghans aren’t us anymore,” Ahmed said.
“We’re based on this oppressive and judgmental group that decided to ruin our entire country.”
The statement said the Taliban has “twisted the teachings of Islam and the Quran for their own objectives, and do not represent either the religion or its teachings.”
As a Muslim, Chakra said she was grateful the statement addressed this issue.
“It challenges current narratives and stereotypes that wrongfully conflate faith with extremism,” Chakra said.
The statement also recognized the harm other communities face, including LGBTQ+ people, journalists, human rights defenders, former government workers, non-governmental organization workers and religious minorities.
Ahmed said no one deserves to experience the suffering so many in Afghanistan are facing.
“People are just people. It doesn’t matter what race, what sexuality [or] what gender,” she said. “Everyone deserves to have the same basic human rights.”
Graphic by Alisha Velji/the Charlatan.
