Afghanistan: Russia draws closer to the Taliban, who dissolved the Ministry for Women and created the Ministry of Vice-prevention

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), led by Moscow and Beijing, must assert itself as a partner of the Taliban so that they keep their promises to fight “terrorism”Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

The SCO, which brings together India, China, Russia and several Central Asian countries, wants to be a counterweight to the influence of the United States, although its concrete action remains limited.

“It is important to mobilize the potential of the organization to facilitate the launch of an inclusive inter-agency dialogue and also block threats of terrorism, drug trafficking and religious extremism from this country», Declared Putin during his participation by videoconference at the summit of the SCO in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan.

“Taliban control almost all of Afghanistan and the new Afghan authorities must be encouraged to keep their promises“, He added, citing his commitment to” establish peace, normalize public life and guarantee the security of all “.

The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, who also participated in the summit through a video, in turn asked “to encourage Afghanistan to build a broad and inclusive political framework”, “to resolutely combat all forms of terrorism” and to live in peace with its neighbors.

Beijing shares a 76 km border with Afghanistan.

For its part, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan hails “rare opportunity to end 40 years of war in Afghanistan”, while calling on the Taliban to ensure the presence of all ethnic groups in their government.

Russia views the Taliban movement as terrorist, but he has been in dialogue with him for years.

Moscow has been conciliatory since the Taliban seized power for his promises not to allow “terrorist” organizations to establish themselves in the country, not to attack its neighbors, in particular Russia’s allies in Central Asia, and to stop the trade in heroin and opium.

The Taliban dissolve the Ministry for Women and create the Virtue portfolio

The Taliban today officially dissolved the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs and created in its place the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, who will be in charge of the rigid implementation of Islamic norms and whose front will be Mohamad Khalid.

At least three officials from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs confirmed to the agency EFE the abolition of the body responsible for promoting public policies and women’s rights, ensuring that under the Taliban, there is “no” ministry for women.

“The ministry for women has been abolished, the Taliban told us that there is no longer a ministry for women and that it becomes the ministry for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice, ”he said. EFE Islamuddin, former head of the defunct institution.

The removal of this wallet was formalized today by the authorities of the Islamist government with the installation of a new sign that reads: “Ministry of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”.

Dozens of employees came to their offices yesterday to resume their work, but the Taliban “We were not allowed to enter the ministry”Islamuddin said.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs was established in 2001 under the government of then Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as part of international efforts to address women’s issues and had approximately 850 employees nationwide.

Over the past two decades, the institution’s mission has been to develop policies, promote rights, eliminate violence and discrimination against women, as well as to promote their active participation in the social and political life of Afghanistan.

The ministry for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice was already part of the government of the first Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which was dissolved after his expulsion from power with the American invasion in 2001.

Afghans still have in mind bitter memories of this body which, under the previous Taliban regime 1996-2001, was responsible for overseeing and implementing a harsh interpretation of Sharia, Islamic law.

The components of the call “Religious police”, depending on this ministry, men were flogged in the streets for listening to music, shaving, not praying, and women not wearing a burqa or full veil, or going out without a male partner, father, husband or brother.

(With information from AFP and EFE)

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