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SECRETARY BLINKEN:Good afternoon, everyone.

First, let me say it is always a particular pleasure to visit our neighbors at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Lise, thank you so much for hosting us. Its wonderful to be here.

And Rina, to you, to our special envoy, to the team working with you, to the many others who are involved with todays launch, I am grateful for all youve done to bring all of us together today, but for the work thats being done every day that Ill have a chance to talk about over the next few minutes. But to our colleagues across the entire U.S. Government, civil society, thank you as well for supporting equality, supporting opportunity, for women and girls across Afghanistan.

And a special thanks to the extraordinary panelists that weve had today. Im really looking forward to getting a chance to speak with you directly shortly. But as you all know, theyve served in Afghanistan in different ways, in different roles, but there is one thread that runs throughout their public service. Each has helped strengthen the rights of Afghan women and girls, as well as members of other vulnerable groups, for decades.

Today, they represent many others across Afghanistan and around the world who have dedicated their lives to this deeply vital and deeply honorable mission.

As the panelists made clear, we meet at a difficult time for Afghan women and girls.

Since the Taliban took over a year ago, theyve reversed a great deal of the openness and progress that had been made over the previous decades. Theyve silenced civil society and journalists. In March, they banned independent international media like Voice of America and BBCfrom airing in Afghanistan. They continue to intimidate and censor Afghan media outlets. They stifled the free practice of religion for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Perhaps most notably, they failed to respect the human rights of women and girls. Instead, under the Taliban, women and girls have largely been erased from public life. As a report released yesterday by Amnesty International showed, the Taliban have systematically restricted women and girls rights to free movement, decimated the system supporting domestic violence victims, and contributed to surging rates of child, early, and forced marriage.

The Talibans decision to ban girls from attending secondary schools, a decision that happened while some girls were literally walking to school and others were already sitting at their desks, was a reversal of commitments they made to the Afghan people and to the world. For 314 days and counting, the girls of Afghanistan have sat at home while their brothers and cousins have been receiving educations. Its a terrible, terrible waste.

Its especially difficult to accept because we all remember how different it was not so very long ago. Prior to the Talibans takeover, thousands of women across Afghanistan held public office from the village level right up to the national level. Women entered professions previously closed to them. They started businesses. They were doctors, nurses, scientists, artists. And women didnt just study in schools across Afghanistan; they ran them.

These gains werent felt only by women and girls. As weve seen again and again throughout history from country to country, when equality and opportunity increase for one group of people, they tend to increase for other groups as well. As the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan were strengthened, we saw members of various ethnic and religious communities Hazaras, Hindus, Sikhs, Sufis take more prominent roles in Afghan public life. Afghans with disabilities did as well. The LGBTQI+ community found ways to build a community. So the changes in Afghanistan during the past year have been painful for so many.

We continue to urge the Taliban to reverse their decision on girls education, to make good on their commitment to the Afghan people, to allow girls to learn. The evidence is overwhelming. Investing in girls education, womens political inclusion, it leads to stronger economies. It leads to healthier individuals and families. It leads to more stable, more resilient societies. These are the things that people of Afghanistan want for their futures. Thats why so many members of Afghan society men and women, rural and urban dwellers, religious scholars, people across religions and cultural backgrounds have all, all called for the Taliban to let women and girls go to school again.

The United States will continue to amplify these voices and do all that we can to support progress for Afghan women, girls, and other at-risk populations.

Earlier this year, we joined partners across the international community including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, the European Union, and others urging the Taliban to let girls go back to school.

Last month, we supported a Human Rights Council urgent debate that allowed us to hear directly from Afghan women leaders. We co-sponsored a resolution that will allow us to hear from them again this coming September. And as we help enable their voices to be heard, others will hear them as well.

Over the past year, weve continued our partnerships with Afghan civil society groups working on issues of equality, inclusion, opportunity for women, religious and ethnic communities, and other at-risk populations.

And critically, with todays launch of the U.S.-Afghan Consultative Mechanism, we are taking these relationships to the next level. Thats why Im so pleased about today.

Its going to make it easier for Afghan civil society groups to communicate and collaborate with American policymakers across a whole range of shared priorities from supporting income-generating activities for Afghan women, to strategizing ways to help Afghan human rights monitors safely document abuses, to devising new methods to promote religious freedom.

What we want to do is to make our partnerships with Afghan civil society more effective, more rigorous, more productive, more purposeful. And thats what this new initiative is all about.

So let me simply share my profound appreciation for our American civil society partners, who do critical work to support women leaders and civil society organizations in Afghanistan, and for our Afghan partners for sharing your perspectives, for sharing your recommendations.

Whats remarkable to me and I think to so many of us is how, even in the face of threats, violence, intimidation, the women and girls of Afghanistan and other vulnerable, targeted people have simply refused to back down. These groups have never stopped believing in a brighter future for their country. They are determined to do all they can to make that future real.

The women who have taken to the streets to protest for their rights are one such group.

In December, when members of the Afghan National Security Forces were targeted despite the Talibans supposed amnesty, women protested. In January, when female public servants were dismissed from their jobs, women protested. In March, when the Taliban instituted an edict directing women to cover their faces in public and to only leave home when, quote, necessary, women protested.

Many of them have said they will never, never stop raising their voices.

The work weve done here today will ensure that we and people around the world continue to hear them, continue to listen to them, as we work together for a more stable, peaceful, prosperous, and free future for Afghanistan and for every Afghan man and woman.

Thank you very much. Thank you all for joining us today. (Applause.)

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the Launch of the U.S.-Afghan Consultative Mechanism - United States Department of State - Department of State

Picks of the week

UnbelievableBBC Sounds, episodes weekly from ThursdayAt Rotherham, I never washed me jockstrap if we won We went 19 games undefeated. Neil Warnock is the first football heavyweight to share his stories from the pitch and changing room in this new BBC Radio 5 live podcast. Hosts Ben Shephard and Chris Kammy Kamara keep the organic conversations going with ease, making it a fun listen to take football fans into the new season. Hollie Richardson

Just a Little ShadyWidely available, episodes weeklyLongtime Eminem listeners will be familiar with the fact that he has a daughter called Hailie. Her new rambling chat of a podcast co-hosted with childhood friend Brittany sees her discuss topics including a youth spent on a tour bus and watching the Detroit Pistons basketball team with her dad. Alexi Duggins

Book ExploderWidely available, from WednesdaySong Exploders bite-size episodes see creators examining their finest tunes and now the spin-off about books (released on the same podcast feed) is here. Susan Orlean hosts a brilliant lineup of authors including Min Jin Lee and Celeste Ng, but first Hrishikesh Hirway asks her about the inspiration behind her own work The Library Book. Hannah Verdier

Kabul FallingWidely available, from MondayBritish-Afghan journalist Nelufar Hedayat hosts an eight-part podcast featuring people who were affected as the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan a year ago. From the immersive sound of people trying to board a flight to a man who walked for eight hours in blistering heat to collect his son, the human stories are powerful. HV

The Electricity of Every Living ThingAudible, all episodes available from ThursdayThis immersive audio experience dramatises author Katherine Mays titular book. Its based on her 630-mile coastal walk to get away from the overstimulating nature of everyday life, only to realise that she may be autistic. The sound FX can feel OTT (loud heartbeats, the constant electric buzz of appliances) but it does plunge you right into the action. AD

This week, Ammar Kalia chooses five of the best podcasts for better mental health, from Esther Perels famed couples therapy podcast to a show seeking to make sense of grief

Maintenance PhaseWellness trends might seem like the fastest, most popular route to better mental health, but behind the buzzwords there is plenty of advice you should take with a pinch of high-quality natural salt. Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes take charge of this incisive and often sarky podcast, tackling the biggest myths in wellness, science and nutritional fads, while recommending more measured means of taking care of yourself in the process. Among the topics covered are the limitations of Matthew Walkers bestselling book Why We Sleep, as well as the myths behind Oprahs weight loss promotions.

Rubin Museum Mindfulness Meditation PodcastFor those who need some guidance to quieten their daily anxieties and focus on the present moment instead, there are a plethora of mindfulness podcasts waiting to help. Series like The Mindful Minute present guided meditations that range in length from five to 45 minutes, while shows such as On Being discuss the nuances of spirituality and meditative practice. New Yorks Rubin Museum of Art takes a fresh and engaging tack with its mindfulness podcast, using paintings and objects from its extensive collection of Asian art as the basis of its meditation

Where Should We Begin? With Esther PerelSo much of our mental health depends on the relationships we have with the people we love. While TV is increasingly giving us a window into the world of relational therapy through shows like Couples Therapy, writer and therapist Esther Perel has long had the monopoly on translating romantic resentments and betrayals into lessons we can all learn from. Her podcast Where Should We Begin? features a real therapy session with a couple each week, allowing often messy self-realisations to inform listeners reflections on our own lives. Although it can be heavy, listening to Perel is like witnessing an artist at work.

Code Switch Our race, gender and sexual orientation and how society treats us as a result of these factors are all vital aspects of how our mental health is formulated. Audio series like Therapy for Black Girls and Bottoming tackle the effects of different perceptions with practical discussion, but NPRs Code Switch stands out for its wider views on the ways that race impacts society and the mental health of people of colour. Each episode is hosted by a journalist recounting first-hand experiences, meaning it can veer tonally. However, it is always consistent in its honesty and learned advice. Begin with the fascinating episode on whether therapy can solve racism.

GriefcastActor and comic Cariad Lloyds podcast in which she interviews media personalities about their experiences of bereavement has garnered a loyal following since it began in 2017. Radical in its frankness, and willingness to probe the dark contradictions of how we react to the deaths of our loved ones, Griefcast has done more than perhaps any other mental health podcast to help make sense of the end of life. Lloyds own story of her fathers death from pancreatic cancer when she was 15 informs her compassionate interviewing, while Covid gives more recent episodes a wider remit, making them a salve in trying times.

If you want to read the complete version of the newsletter please subscribe to receive Hear Here in your inbox every Thursday

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Best podcasts of the week: Inside the lives turned upside down by Afghanistans fall to the Taliban - The Guardian

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In May 2022, the Taliban released a 312-page manifesto titled Al Imarat al Islamiah wa Nizamuha, which translates as The Islamic Emirate and Its Nizam (nizam means administration, system, institutions, or order). The manifesto attempts to provide the Taliban with a grounding document by answering two questions: what an Islamic Emirate is, and how to run one.

The manifesto, which is essentially a how-to manual for establishing a godly state on earth, divides the path to this ultimate goal into two stages. First, the continuation of jihad as an unending endeavor, and second, the establishment of an Islamic Emirate. The manifesto is primarily concerned with the second phase. It addresses various aspects of the Talibans Sunni Hanafi interpretation of Islam, including their interpretation of an Islamic state (state and emirate are used interchangeably) and implementing Islamic laws in various aspects of state and institution building in modern times. About one-sixth of the book is about women and their place, rights, and responsibilities in a society that the movement calls Islamic.

Most interestingly, the manifesto is written not in any of the languages of Central and South Asia, where the Taliban are geographically located, but in Arabic.

Key Takeaways

Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific.

Below is a brief summary of the key points of the manifesto.

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The Islamic Emirate envisioned by the Taliban is governed by divine law rather than man-made law. The leader of the Islamic Emirate will be chosen by Ahl Al-Hall wa Al-Aqd, or a council of Islamic scholars. The general public has no role or say in this process, and modern elections are obsolete because they have no precedent in Islam.

The Islamic Emirates army is first and foremost an Islamic army trained to carry out Gods will on earth. The Islamic Emirate is obliged to protect the Islamic Emirates and Muslims assets, such as peoples property, madrassas, mosques, and the Muslim communitys borders; however, jihad remains the armys primary duty and obligation.

Islamic education (madrassa education) is wahjib (mandatory) for both men and women in the Islamic Emirate. Modern education (school education), however, remains mubah (merely permitted) for both sexes. Islamic education should be given twice as much time as modern education.

The document discusses the rights and roles of women and girls at some length. In terms of education, women and girls should study subjects deemed appropriate for their gender. These include anything related to the domestic realm, such as home sciences, elderly and child care, or embroidery.

Women in the Islamic Emirate should only work in fields deemed necessary for them, such as medicine (to treat women) or education (only for girls). Women should not travel long distances without a mahram, a close male relative, nor should they take jobs or participate in educational activities that require them to travel for more than three days. Women cannot hold senior leadership positions, but they can work if they are separated from men in the workplace. Women must always wear the hijab (currently full facial coverage).

Talibanism to Define the Core of Islamism

The manifesto is the first of its kind to codify and immortalize the Sunni-Hanafi Islamist ideology of the Taliban in the liturgical language of Islam, Arabic. The choice of language elevates the Talibans writing, which is usually limited to Pashto and Persian, transcending the groups traditional and linguistic boundaries of the Af-Pak region. While the author of the manifesto, Sheikh Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the chief justice of the Taliban, justifies the use of Arabic to make referencing other Islamic texts easier, it is hard to imagine that writing in Arabic is meant for a limited regional readership.

Moreover, the author has gone to great lengths to make the manifesto as scientific-looking as possible by providing extensive references and footnotes. Besides historical references, the four main authoritative sources of references are the Quran, the Sunnah, the Ijma, and the Qiyas. According to the preface, the manifesto has been peer-reviewed by the Taliban supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and a group of other religious leaders.

The manifesto is basically a 21st century manual for erecting a puritan Islamic State/Emirate based on divine law, complete rejection of any kind of people-based government, and exemplary exclusion of women from social and political life, as seen in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Notably, however, it is not necessarily specific to Afghanistan; the document provides the necessary flexibility and also a level of abstraction to be adapted to the different cultural and geographic contexts.

This is especially alarming for large parts of Asia and southern Europe, home to large Hanafi Muslim majorities. From the Xinjiang region of China, to India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in South Asia, to Syria and Iraq in the Middle East, to Central Asia and the Caucasus stretching into Turkey and the Balkans, all face Islamist threats either from within or from the fringes of their societies.

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National or Transnational?

In the two years leading up to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the United States and the rest of the Western world made increasing efforts to portray the Taliban as an Islamo-nationalist Afghan group. This portrayal of the Taliban was in part an effort to justify U.S. troop withdrawal. Yet looking at the very nature of Afghanistans social fabric home to sizable minorities spread across national borders, including Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Turkmen, and Hazaras the reality is that the Taliban and their activities are anything but limited to Afghanistan.

In his speech on July 2, in the cleric assembly in Kabul, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Taliban (who also claims to be the amir al-muminin, meaning the leader of the entire Muslim community worldwide), emphasized that the world is divided into Muslims and non-Muslims. In his portrayal, the Talibans struggle against the non-Muslims is a continuous one that is not going to come to a halt any time soon.

Moreover, feeling emboldened by their victory over the United States and in possession of an entire country something Taliban contemporaries such as the Islamic State, Al-Shabab, Boko Haram, and al-Qaida continue to strive for but have not yet achieved the Taliban are engaging in a game of carrots and sticks with regional powers. The group has maintained excellent relations with regional terrorist outfits, something the Taliban seek to use to their advantage as they continue to increase their bargaining power with regional states.

Since they took control of Kabul in August 2021, the Afghan Taliban have exerted pressure on the Pakistani Taliban twice by using the influence that they have over their counterparts in Pakistan. On the northern front, the Taliban have already established potential launchpads into China and the Central Asian republics by strategically continuing to host a multitude of Central Asian and Uyghur extremist groups in northern Afghanistan. These groups include spin-offs of the notorious Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including the Katibat Imam al-Bukhari group; the Islamic Jihad Union; the Jamaat Ansarullah of Tajikistan; and, the Central Asian military wing of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

To counterbalance the leverage held by the Taliban, Islamabad has begun providing support to the Islamic States local branch in Afghanistan, while Tashkent has decided to conduct business with the Taliban and New Delhi is taking one step forward and two steps backward. Meanwhile Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow are perplexed and flabbergasted at their miscalculation, and as a result are engaging the Taliban with great caution.

Fluid Ties Between the Taliban and Islamic State in Afghanistan

While the Taliban continues to portray itself as a bulwark against the presence in Afghanistan of the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), particularly for Russians, Iranians, and Central Asian republics, the reality of Taliban-ISKP ties is murkier and more opportunistic than it is antagonistic. Although the Taliban label targeted or extrajudicial killings as part of their fight against the ISKP, when faced with a common enemy, an external threat, or Shia uprising, the Taliban and the ISKP are expected to join forces. The Taliban and ISKP have worked together before in Kabul and parts of northern Afghanistan against the former Afghan government, which was backed by the United States.

Recent reports and videos of Taliban fighters in northern Afghanistan going after a Shia minority group that helped the Talibans only Shia-Hazara rebel commander, Mawlavi Mahdi, show that animosity toward the Shia community is a common factor among the Taliban and the ISKP.

Furthermore, there is a history of informal communication between the Islamic State and the Taliban, with IS requesting that the Taliban join forces with them in 2015. In 2021, when the Taliban took control of Kabul city, they released more than 4,000 ISKP members, as most of them were disgruntled Taliban members.

While the Taliban and IS/ISKP follow different schools of Islamic jurisprudence the Taliban being Hanafi and the ISKP being Salafi Muslims in terms of grand strategy, both envision resurrecting an Islamic empire ruled by either an Islamic Emir or a Caliph. But, unlike IS, the Taliban have a whole geography as well as political, economic, and military means to prepare for their vision, leaving Afghanistan in many ways worse off 20 years after the attempt at Western liberal nation-building.

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Do the Taliban Have Transnational Ambitions? The Diplomat - The Diplomat

(Photo : Zahid Mohammadi)

As a country, Afghanistan has one of the most complex stories. The Afghan people have been deeply affected by religion, politics and war. Although many have suffered incredible pain and loss, they continue to persevere in search of their dreams - hopeful that they can help to give the next generation a more fruitful and peaceful life.

For Zahid Mohammadi, Afghanistan is a place that he will always consider home. However, after years of hard work and building his digital marketing business from scratch, he was forced to move it to a place where it could not only survive, but thrive.

During his childhood, Mohammadi's family was barely scraping by. He recognized early on that education was his best hope for a bright future, and so he poured all of his efforts into his studies. When he received a scholarship to attend the University of Pune, he decided to complete his BA in Political Science. It was an opportunity that he could not afford to waste.

At the same time, with nobody supporting him during his studies, it was imperative for him to work as well. He was a very busy man but, as luck would have it, the position that he found actually sparked his own entrepreneurial spirit. Working with SP Technologies opened Zahid's mind to the concept of B2B, as it was something not really present in Afghanistan.

As he continued his studies, he felt it was important to gain broader knowledge of the B2B market. He was able to work with both Vsynergize and SM Technomine before graduating, diversifying his skills and networking with others in the industry. His time in India brought incredible growth and helped to set his sights clearly on his goals.

Upon returning to Afghanistan, Mohammadi had focus, determination and passion. On his own dime, he began to lay the groundwork of his business - Pivotal B2B. As one of the very first B2B companies in the country, they worked online to serve international media and technology customers. Thanks to his efforts and digital marketing expertise, Pivotal B2B generated over 900% of the initial capital invested in the first year alone.

Of course, the life of an entrepreneur is full of highs and lows, and the Covid-19 pandemic was a definite low for Zahid. Although the business already operated in the digital world with customers, moving his employees online and shifting all operations online was a huge challenge. The first three months were by far the most difficult but, thanks to Mohammadi's strong leadership and efficient communication, eventually things started to flow once again.

Business was busier than ever, and Zahid was finally able to reflect on his success. He was so proud to be in a position to give opportunity to other Afghan people - in particular for the youth. Furthermore, his digital media company was helping to boost the tech industry within the country, and to put Afghans in the global market by working online for top media and software companies. However, his times of challenge were not over yet.

Sadly, in August 2021, the circumstances in Afghanistan took a dramatic turn for the worst. After announcing plans at the end of 2020 to scale down their military presence, the US began to withdraw their troops in May 2021. As was expected, the Taliban saw this window of opportunity, and began to take action with what is now known as the 2021 Taliban Offensive. According to The New York Times, "In a lightning offensive, the Taliban swallowed dozens of cities in a matter of days." By August 15th, they had taken the capital city of Kabul, completely overthrowing the Afghan government.

With the Taliban quickly implementing massive societal and legal changes, operating as an Afghan business was no longer an option for Pivotal B2B Media. Being the smart business man that he is, Mohammadi decided to move the operations of his company to the US, where Pivotal B2B is now headquartered, with an active branch in Kabul, Afghanistan.

He was quickly reassured that this was the right move, as his knowledge and understanding of the industry started to grow immediately. Since relocating to the US, the company has successfully launched several new products, including their Demand Generation for Technology and Content Syndication. By having access to, and implementing, advanced marketing technologies they have seen a steady and significant increase in revenue. Pivotal is a new model of modern media company, with a data-driven approach and marketing services that accelerate purchasing and deepen engagement. They have worked with highly esteemed tech and media companies in both the US and Europe, such as Freshworks, Nextiva, Argyle Executive Forum, Microsoft, and Oracle.

In closing, Mohammadi explains that: "We're here to assist tech companies in locating their target audience, publishing their content, and creating efficient lead generation programs that can boost their RIO. Our top-funnel initiatives are tailored in a way that can help our tech partners raise brand recognition, build interest, and target the types of prospects who will eventually fill their sales pipeline. We evaluate our leads for quality and back them up with a quick replacement policy. To us, it's not just work - we take pride in the solutions we deliver."

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The Story Of Zahid Mohammadi: A Digital Marketing Expert Who Was Forced To Take His Business Out Of Afghanistan - Tech Times

Another deadly traffic accident occurred on the Jawzjan-Balkh highway when a car overturned in the Jawzjan province of northern Afghanistan, killing one person and injuring two more, according to local health officials.

According to the Director of the public relations office of Jawzjan provincial administration, Hamidullah Darzabi, this incident took place along the Jawzjan-Balkh highway in the Hadbakhshi region, where a Corolla-type car overturned and caused injuries and fatality.

The official stated that the car was traveling from Faryab to Balkh when the accident occurred.

According to the health officials, the injured were taken to the nearest hospital, Jawzjan Provincial Hospital, and the condition of one of the injured is said to be critical.

In a recent accident In Zabul province, in southern Afghanistan, flooding caused a passenger bus to tip over, resulting in the deaths of four persons and the injuries of forty-eight more.

The health officials said that three women and one man lost their lives while women and children were no exceptions in getting wounded as a result of the fatal accident.

In Afghanistan, drivers negligence has caused a significant number of fatalities, and in recent months, the number of traffic accidents involving driver error has increased.

In Afghanistan, drivers negligence has caused a significant number of fatalities, and in recent months, the number of traffic accidents involving driver error has increased.

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Vehicle Topples Over in Northern Afghanistan, Leaving Three Killed & Injured - The Khaama Press News Agency - The Khaama Press News Agency