Tales of targeted killings mount, fueling Afghan fears of Taliban
Rights group says Islamist insurgents have killed 9 members of Hazara minority, a Shiite group that in recent years has made major gains in education, social status
By Agencies
20 August 2021
KABUL, Afghanistan — Reports of targeted killings in areas overrun by the Taliban mounted on Friday, fueling fears that they will return Afghanistan to the repressive rule they imposed when they were last in power, even as they urged imams to push a message of unity at Friday’s prayers. Terrified that the new de facto rulers would commit such abuses and despairing for their country’s future, thousands have raced to Kabul’s airport and border crossings following the Taliban’s stunning blitz through Afghanistan. Others have taken to the streets to protest the takeover — acts of defiance that Taliban fighters have violently suppressed.
The Taliban say that they have become more moderate since they last ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s, and have pledged to restore security and forgive those who fought them in the 20 years since a United States-led invasion. Ahead of Friday prayers, leaders urged imams to use sermons to appeal for unity and urge people not to flee the country. But many Afghans are skeptical, fearing that the Taliban will erase the gains, especially for women, achieved in the past two decades. An Amnesty International report provided more evidence on Friday that undercut the Taliban’s claims they have changed.
more............ https://www.timesofisrael.com/tales-of-targeted-killings-mount-fueling-afghan-fears-of-taliban/
Rights group says Islamist insurgents have killed 9 members of Hazara minority, a Shiite group that in recent years has made major gains in education, social status
By Agencies
20 August 2021
KABUL, Afghanistan — Reports of targeted killings in areas overrun by the Taliban mounted on Friday, fueling fears that they will return Afghanistan to the repressive rule they imposed when they were last in power, even as they urged imams to push a message of unity at Friday’s prayers. Terrified that the new de facto rulers would commit such abuses and despairing for their country’s future, thousands have raced to Kabul’s airport and border crossings following the Taliban’s stunning blitz through Afghanistan. Others have taken to the streets to protest the takeover — acts of defiance that Taliban fighters have violently suppressed.
The Taliban say that they have become more moderate since they last ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s, and have pledged to restore security and forgive those who fought them in the 20 years since a United States-led invasion. Ahead of Friday prayers, leaders urged imams to use sermons to appeal for unity and urge people not to flee the country. But many Afghans are skeptical, fearing that the Taliban will erase the gains, especially for women, achieved in the past two decades. An Amnesty International report provided more evidence on Friday that undercut the Taliban’s claims they have changed.
more............ https://www.timesofisrael.com/tales-of-targeted-killings-mount-fueling-afghan-fears-of-taliban/