[The controversy comes as Afghan leaders are negotiating with the Taliban to end decades of war. The peace talks underway in Qatar are intended to tackle issues such as the rights of women and minorities, but the sides have not officially discussed such matters. Many activists fear that if a power-sharing government is formed, gains made over the past 20 years in areas such as civil liberties and women’s rights could be lost.]
By Sharif Hassan and Susannah George
The ban was issued last week by
Kabul’s education directorate in the form of a letter, and the criticism —
including from officials — was almost instantaneous. Within days, dozens of
videos marked with the hashtag #IAmMySong were uploaded to Facebook, Twitter
and other social media platforms.
In a statement late Saturday night, the federal Education
Ministry said the ban “does not reflect the positions or policies of the
Ministry” and it was investigating the matter.
[Public
figures say women must be included at every stage of Taliban-Afghan government
peace talks]
The controversy comes as Afghan leaders are negotiating with the Taliban to end
decades of war. The peace talks underway in Qatar are intended to tackle issues
such as the rights of women and minorities, but the sides have not officially
discussed such matters. Many activists fear that if a power-sharing government
is formed, gains made over the past 20 years in areas such as civil liberties
and women’s rights could be lost.
Overturning the ban “was a small
victory for us,” said Fariha Easar, a 32-year-old activist who was one of the
people spearheading the #IAmMySong campaign. Easar said some officials are
attempting to implement increasingly conservative policies ahead of the Taliban
potentially assuming formal power in Afghanistan.
“We already know how the Taliban
defines women’s rights,” Easar said. When the Taliban held power in the 1990s,
schools for girls were forcibly shut and women were largely excluded from
public life. “That’s why we cannot stop our movement.”
The Education Ministry statement
said it supports the participation of “all students” in social activities,
including singing groups, “and takes pride in their involvement.”
A negotiated end to the conflict in
Afghanistan will almost certainly require the incorporation of Taliban leaders
into a political system. A recent U.S. draft peace plan suggests an interim government in which power would be divided and the formation of a
religious committee that would provide the government with guidance and advice.
The interim government would retain power only until elections could be held.
Afghanistan largely remains a
deeply conservative country, but since the toppling of the Taliban two decades
ago by U.S.-led forces, many women, particularly in urban areas, have enjoyed
expanded rights and freedoms.
[U.S.
push for peace in Afghanistan has new ‘urgency.’ Some Afghans fear it could
backfire.]
Afghan government officials have
pledged to preserve human rights gains, including the rights of women. Waheed
Omar, President Ashraf Ghani’s senior communication adviser, was among a
handful of officials who spoke out against the singing ban before it was
reversed.
“No individual or institution is
allowed to set limits on the citizens of this country that contradict the
spirit of this country’s constitution,” Omar tweeted Saturday.
But Easar and other activists fear
their work will become more difficult and dangerous in the months ahead.
Violent attacks against women in
Afghan public life have increased as security in the country has deteriorated.
Three female media workers were killed this month on their way home from work in
eastern Afghanistan. And in January, gunmen killed two female Supreme Court judges in
Kabul.
“We won’t let anyone silence our
voices. We should stand up for the future of our daughters,” activist Laila
Frogh Mohammadi posted on Twitter along with a video of her singing a popular Afghan song.
“It is difficult, but we must pass
through,” she sang.
George reported from Doha, Qatar.