One of the reasons people give now for remaining in Afghanistan is to support women's rights and protect them from the Taliban's misogynistic theocrats. Unfortunately, that means leaving them at the mercy of Hamid Karzai, who appears to be willing to throw them to the Taliban to retain power:
Women are subordinate to men, should not mix in work or education and must always have a male guardian when they travel, according to new guidelines from Afghanistan's top clerics which critics say are dangerously reminiscent of the Taliban era.Remember, we're helping to prop this misogynist up. While the SAS are coming home, we still have a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan, and we still provide funding. Which directly helps the stability of this theocratic monster's government. I hope the New Zealand army are proud of themselves.The edicts appeared in a statement that also encouraged insurgents to join peace talks, fuelling fears that efforts to negotiate an end to a decade of war, now gathering pace after years of false starts and dead ends, will come at a high cost to women.
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The points agreed at a regular meeting of the Ulema Council of top clerics are not legally binding. But the statement detailing them was published by the president's office with no further comment, a move that has been taken as a tacit seal of approval.
This is not something we should be doing. if this is the direction Afghanistan is headed in, we should be coming home, now.