UN Skeptical of Taliban Promise to Respect Rights of Women, Girls

The Taliban said it would build an inclusive government, protect the rights of women “within the bounds of Shariah law,” and prevent Afghan territory from being used to target any other country after sweeping aside the Western-backed government to end two decades of war.

“We assure the international community and especially the U.S. and neighboring countries that Afghanistan won’t be used against them,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said in Kabul on Tuesday, making his first fully public appearance after 20 years spreading the group’s message from secret locations as it fought NATO and Afghan forces.

His comments addressed deep fears in Afghanistan and overseas that the Taliban’s return to power will in particular roll back advances in the freedoms enjoyed by some women, and allow terrorist groups like al-Qaeda to rebuild a base in the country.

Convincing the world that the Taliban intends to be true to its word will be key if the group hopes to gain at least tacit recognition from the U.S. and its allies as the new rulers of Afghanistan.

Taliban Say Women Can Work, Shifting From Stance Before 9/11

“After consultations we will witness the formation of a strong inclusive Islamic government,” Mujahed said, dodging questions of who would lead the country. He added that a Taliban-run Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wouldn’t seek retribution against those who worked with the U.S. and the ousted administration or fought the movement.

“All of them have been pardoned,” he said during a more than hour-long press conference, dressed in the Taliban’s usual black turban. Mujahed said the group’s fighters would collect weapons in a country awash with guns, and crack down on opium production.

He sat in front of a cluster of microphones, and a hand sanitizer bottle, with the white Taliban flag and blue velvet curtains behind him. A translator sat to his left, often leaning in to translate questions from the foreign press or to relay his answers. It was the first time that people had seen Mujahed with his face uncovered.

The Sunni fundamentalist movement, which took power as the U.S.-trained Afghan army melted away and President Ashraf Ghani fled his palace, has previously suggested it won’t revert to some of the harsh practices it followed when in power before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

But many are deeply skeptical that the Taliban charm offensive represents a shift in its fundamentalist rule. Already reports have emerged of forced marriages, discrimination against female employees and orders for men to grow beards. Thousands of residents have fled to neighboring countries in an attempt to escape life under the insurgents.

Earlier Tuesday, Taliban representatives, Afghan officials and leaders in Qatar -- where the two sides held now-stalled peace talks -- were thought to have begun discussions in an effort to formalize the transition of power.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Subscribe to our newest channel Quicktake Explained

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app.

Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake

Connect with us on…

Breaking News on YouTube