Taliban’s Systematic Abduction of Non-Pashtun Girls: Urgent Calls for International Action
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Kabul Press?: In a disturbing development, the Taliban, identified as a Pashtun-centric terrorist group, has been reported to be engaged in a systematic campaign of abducting girls from non-Pashtun communities, specifically targeting Hazara and Tajik ethnic groups. Recent reports from various regions in Afghanistan have highlighted the alarming trend, with dozens of girls under the age of 18 falling victim to the terrorist group’s abductions.
Local communities have attempted to intervene and free the abducted girls, but encounters with Taliban forces have escalated into the use of force, leaving the fate of these girls uncertain. The gravity of the situation has prompted widespread protests in various cities globally, shedding light not only on the Hazara Genocide but also on the targeted abduction of non-Pashtun girls by the Taliban.
The Taliban, a well-organized group originating from the Pashtun tribal areas spanning Afghanistan and Pakistan, has managed to consolidate power through a combination of violence, suicide bombings, and collaboration with prominent Pashtun politicians like Ghani Ahmadzai, Hamid Karzai, and Zalmay Khalilzad. International and regional security services have, in some cases, played a role in facilitating their resurgence.
At the local level, the Taliban’s objectives extend beyond violence to encompass the destruction of non-Pashtun cultural heritage, forced displacement, and the imposition of medieval and inhumane Pashtun traditions, known as Pashtunwali, on non-Pashtun populations. The group has established a regime based on a singular ethnic identity, favoring Pashtuns, and a gender-specific focus that excludes girls and women from social life, educational institutions, and universities.
Furthermore, the Taliban has systematically eliminated the presence of girls and women in public life, deliberately restricting their access to schools and universities. The group is actively engaged in indoctrinating and training a new generation in their madrasas, perpetuating a cycle of terrorism. The global community is now being urged by protesters to take decisive action against the Taliban and stand in solidarity with the victims of these egregious human rights violations.