Reinstate the travel ban on Taliban
Reinstate the travel ban on Taliban
Why this petition matters
To the United Nations Security Council
I am writing to request you to re-impose travel bans on the Taliban in the coming meeting of the UN Security Council in light of the atrocities committed by this oppressive group on the people of Afghanistan.
Since their return to power, Taliban have violated fundamental UN-defined human rights, particularly in the case of women in Afghanistan. It has become evident that all their social policies lead to the erasure of women from society and the marginalisation of certain religious and ethnic sects. Women have been deprived of their basic right to education, employment and freedom of expression. It is now 250 days since all girls and women are deprived of education in Afghanistan. Women are banned from employment in most parts of the country. Women can not travel without a male family member. Women can not take part in sports, or arts, and can not use public bathhouses. They are forced to cover from head to toe, only bearing their eyes. The punishment for defying such rules is physical violence and punishment and imprisonment of a male family member. There is no place in this world where in 2022, women are subjected to such extremely misogynistic and cruel laws.
In the last three months alone, there have been a multitude of attacks on Hazaras and the Shia community. These attacks have targeted hundreds of school children, and innocent civilians in mosques. The attacks are part of Taliban’s established plans of systemic cleansing of Hazaras and Shias. Religious minorities and the members of the LGBTQ society are under direct threat from Taliban and Taliban are incapable of providing these groups with any protection.
In addition to the above, Taliban are turning all educational institutions into extremist religious schools where young men can be indoctrinated into fanaticism and recruited into terrorist groups. The entire society is suffering from famine, unemployment and a complete economic breakdown, yet Taliban’s foremost agenda is to erase women, Hazaras and minorities from society.
Unfortunately, the UN has played a major role in empowering the Taliban by removing the group’s international travel ban, and allowing them to gain diplomatic recognition and re-emerge as organised and equipped militias. The travel ban suspension was granted to the Taliban in April 2019 to support reconciliation efforts with the former Afghan government. However, in this period Taliban admittedly continued their suicide attacks that took thousands of Afghan lives. UNAMA's report from July 2021 mentions that from 2019 to June 2021, 4385 Afghan civilians were killed, and 12674 were wounded. This occurred despite the UN envoy’s call on the Taliban to intensify efforts to negotiate with the former Afghan government and to protect Afghan civilians.
Taliban attacked the UN compound in Herat in July 2021 and took full responsibility for the attack, but despite this, the UN did not re-impose the travel ban. The UN continued to extend the suspension of the travel ban for further ninety days, from December 2021 to March 2022. Without any sanctions or terms, Taliban are allowed to travel in private jets to countries that give them a voice, international recognition and continue to lobby for them as they subject an entire nation into crisis.
It is time that the UN redeems its reputation, and takes a truly united and firm stance in alignment with its core values, by reimposing the international travel ban on Taliban and deterring them from receiving further international recognition. The UN must not legitimise a group which overthrew a constitutional republic and continues to cooperate with other terrorist groups to destabilise the region. An international travel ban on Taliban and their leadership will prevent diplomatic recognition with countries that lobbied for them, subsequently weakening their regime.
I send you this as an urgent and humble human rights activist, in the hope that you will re-impose the international travel ban on Taliban and with hopes that this authoritarian group eases their oppressive policies against women. The travel ban will voice the firm stance of the international community regarding the basic human rights of people in Afghanistan, especially women.
