HARD TO BELIEVE

Taliban Promises Afghanistan Women: Trust Us, We’ve Changed

On Monday, many women decided to stay at home, in fear of being beaten on the streets.

There were grim reports Monday that women had all but disappeared from the streets of Kabul following the rapid Taliban takeover. But, in the group’s first comments on how it intends to rule Afghanistan, it has insisted that it’s no longer the ultraconservative Taliban of old. Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, said: “The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims... They should be in government structure according to Shariah law.” He added: “The structure of government is not fully clear, but based on experience, there should be a fully Islamic leadership and all sides should join.” However, many will not swallow the Taliban’s promises. On Monday, many women decided to stay at home in fear of being beaten for not covering up, and there have been recent reports of forced marriages to Taliban fighters. An unnamed woman who worked as a reporter before the takeover told The Guardian: “We are scared if the Taliban find us they will definitely kill us.”