Author: رسانه‌ای گوهر شاد

1 year ago - 900 Visits

Zakiya Khodadadi, a female athlete from Afghanistan who left the country after the return of the caretaker government, is seeking to win a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympics, which is part of the Olympic events in Paris. Ms. Khodadadi stated that she competes in the name of the women and girls of her country who have gradually been deprived of their social, educational, and political rights over the past three years. Associated Press reported that this Paralympic taekwondo athlete made history in 2021 in Tokyo by becoming the first Afghan woman to participate in an international sporting event after the current government's takeover. Khodadadi was banned from competing when the caretaker government regained power. She was allowed to represent her country after leaving Afghanistan and at the request of the international community. In a conversation with the Associated Press, this female athlete said, "It is difficult for me because I want to compete with my country's flag; however, life has been forbidden for all girls and women in Afghanistan. Today I am here to win a medal in Paris for them. I want to show strength to all women and girls in Afghanistan." The report noted that Khodadadi began practicing taekwondo at the age of 11. She trained secretly in a gym in her hometown of Herat because there were simply no other opportunities for women to safely engage in sports in Afghanistan. According to the Associated Press, despite the restrictive culture surrounding her, her family has allowed and encouraged her to be active. She mentioned that her determination to compete in Afghanistan was fueled by her disability. Khodadadi competes for the Refugee Paralympic Team, while other athletes like Kimia Yousofi, an Olympic runner, were seeking medals under the Afghan flag, managing to secure the 31st position among 36 athletes. Zakiya Khodadadi is set to compete for the Refugee Paralympic Team.

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1 year ago - 502 Visits

The humanitarian sector of the United Nations has stated that the involvement of women and girls in Afghanistan in humanitarian aid processes is essential and must be ensured. In a message shared on its X account, the organization quoted Nagina Yari, head of the Women’s Advisory Group of the Humanitarian Country Team in Afghanistan, emphasizing that the participation of Afghan women and girls in humanitarian aid processes secures their rights. The UN humanitarian sector asserts that women are powerful agents of change, and their presence is crucial for the success of humanitarian responses. It continues to state that without meaningful participation and support for women in this process, the involvement of women and girls will also be limited. Nagina Yari highlighted the importance of enhancing women's roles in decision-making, stating that donors must support women and base strategies on their recommendations. Ms. Yari added that engaging with women leads to better outcomes and protects their rights. While the UN humanitarian sector emphasizes the participation of women and girls, according to UN statistics, 23.7 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance, with approximately 80% being women and children. However, the current government has prohibited women and girls from working in international organizations, including UN offices. Previously, various UN agencies have stated that the ban on women's work has posed challenges to the humanitarian aid process for those in need.

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1 year ago - 493 Visits

The World Food Program of the United Nations has expressed concern over budget shortages within the organization, stating that this summer it has removed 600,000 pregnant women in Afghanistan from the list of recipients of nutritious food due to a lack of funds. It further noted that this year, 1.6 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in Afghanistan have received nutritious food to prevent malnutrition for themselves and their children. On Tuesday, August 7, the World Food Program reiterated its concerns about budget shortages in a message posted on its X account. This comes at a time when the World Food Program had previously stated that it could not provide emergency food assistance to 11 million people in need due to budget constraints. According to United Nations statistics, 23.7 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance, with approximately 48% of the population living below the poverty line. It should be noted that following the return of the caretaker government to power and the imposition of restrictive policies regarding the rights and freedoms of women and girls, as well as work limitations, access to humanitarian aid for them has been hindered.

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1 year ago - 682 Visits

Following the protests and harassment of Afghan migrants in Iran, particularly in Tehran, the human rights organization Hangaw has warned about the increasing governmental and social racism towards Afghan migrants in the country, describing the situation as "catastrophic." In a report, this human rights organization stated that in recent months, there has been a wave of rising anti-Afghan racism, both at the governmental and societal levels, observable within Iran. The report noted that this racism includes discussions surrounding the expulsion of Afghan migrants in the context of Iran's presidential election debates, as well as a growing demand for their expulsion on social media platforms. Hangaw emphasized that many Afghan citizens, despite having lived and worked in Iran for decades, do not possess valid residency cards. The report indicated that Afghan migrants are not allowed to reside in 16 provinces of Iran, and outside of Tehran, Alborz, and Qom provinces, they are only permitted to stay in certain districts. It should be noted that tensions between Iranian citizens and Afghan migrants escalated following the killing of an Iranian individual. As days pass, there is an increasing wave of anti-migrant sentiment and opposition towards Afghan nationals across various regions in Iran. In recent weeks, there has been a surge of violence and hostility against Afghan migrants in the capital and several districts of Tehran. In many cases, Afghan migrants have faced insults, humiliation, beatings, and knife attacks from Iranian citizens.

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1 year ago - 573 Visits

Sources from Afghan female students in Bangladesh indicate that following the escalation of political developments and chaos in the country, hundreds of Afghan female students are concerned about their security situation and face an uncertain future. At least three Afghan female students in Bangladesh stated today (Tuesday, August 7) in an interview with the media outlet Goharshad that around 600 Afghan female students are currently in Bangladesh and are experiencing poor mental health due to the political turmoil in the country. The source mentioned that most of these girls went to Bangladesh on scholarships offered by the country to continue their education at the Asian University for Women. One student said that since the start of student protests in Bangladesh on July 13, hundreds of Afghan female students have not been allowed to leave their dormitories and are worried about their safety. This student stated: "They are not allowed to leave the dormitory. The security, mental health, and psychological condition of Afghan female students are not good at all. Even the female students have not been permitted by the university to speak to the media or express their opinions on social media." Another female student mentioned that these students have not been able to communicate with their families for several days due to internet outages, but they managed to regain internet access since yesterday. The source expressed concern, emphasizing that there is no diplomatic entity available to address the challenges faced by these students. The source added: "These girls cannot return to Afghanistan either, as they are worried that the caretaker government will prevent their return." According to the source, those students whose countries have embassies in Bangladesh have spoken with government officials of that country and have been warned about ensuring the safety of students; however, Afghan girls have no one to check on them. This comes as Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, resigned and left the country yesterday after weeks of student protests that escalated into deadly nationwide unrest. Ms. Hasina fled to India by helicopter after her residence in Dhaka was attacked by protesters. Additionally, two days ago, over 90 people, including at least dozens of police officers, were killed in clashes in Bangladesh. The unrest began last month with calls to abolish quotas in government jobs and has since turned into a campaign of civil disobedience. According to reports, at least 300 people have lost their lives during the recent month of protests.

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1 year ago - 546 Visits

The Afghanistan Journalists Center has recently announced that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the interim government has suspended the operating licenses of 17 radio and television networks in Nangarhar due to their failure to pay "frequency taxes." In a statement released today (Monday, August 7), the center said that the Ministry of Communications has warned these media outlets that they will not be allowed to operate until they pay their overdue taxes. The statement mentioned that the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA), which operates under the Ministry of Communications, has verbally and in writing communicated the decision to suspend these media outlets to their owners. It further stated that ATRA emphasized that due to the refusal of local media owners in Nangarhar to pay "frequency taxes" and the "non-renewal of frequency licenses," local radio and television stations in Nangarhar will not be permitted to operate based on Article 37 of the Telecommunications Services Law. Additionally, the Afghanistan Journalists Center, citing its sources in Nangarhar, reported that local media in this province, being a first-class province, are required to pay 108,000 Afghanis annually for frequency license renewal and an additional $25 as ancillary costs. The center stressed: "All local media are indebted in this regard, with their debts ranging from one year to over ten years." Part of the statement noted that currently, radio and television stations must obtain separate licenses not only from the Ministry of Communications but also from the Ministries of Information and Culture, Industry and Commerce, and even municipal authorities, paying separate fees for each of these licenses. Furthermore, local media officials in Nangarhar have informed the Afghanistan Journalists Center that their economic problems have doubled since the interim government regained control over Afghanistan, and advertising—once their main source of income—has decreased unprecedentedly. They stated that they do not have the financial capacity to cover operational costs and the multiple taxes imposed by the Taliban. The center expressed serious concern over the suspension of local media activities in Nangarhar and urged ATRA to forgive their debts in light of the economic difficulties faced by local media, extend their operating licenses, and adjust and implement the annual frequency license tax considering the economic challenges of these media outlets. It is worth noting that since regaining control over Afghanistan, the current government has imposed extensive restrictions on media activities and journalists in the country.

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1 year ago - 692 Visits

Fariba Hashemi, an Afghan cyclist who will represent Afghanistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics, says she is doing her utmost to achieve a good result and to represent the 20 million women of Afghanistan in this global competition. According to a report by France-Press, Fariba Hashemi and Youldoz Hashemi will raise the flag of a fallen country at the Paris Olympics. Fariba Hashemi is one of six representatives from Afghanistan in cycling at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The report states that the selection of the six-member team, which includes three men and three women, is a deliberate display of equality in response to the current government's strong opposition to women's participation in professional sports since it regained power in 2021. Youldoz and Fariba were in Kabul during the fall of Afghanistan and, with the help of world champion Italian cyclist Alessandra Cappelluto, managed to escape the besieged city with a few other cyclists. Fariba Hashemi expresses her astonishment at the return of the current regime. She emphasized, "When the Taliban took power in my country, I was in Afghanistan. After three or four days, they took control of all of Afghanistan. I was not only worried about myself; I was worried about my people, worried about everything. Because the first time they came to my country [in 1996], they stopped everything for women—everything: school, sports. What was left for women? They closed everything." Fariba hopes that her performance at the Paris Olympics, or even her presence there, will help combat the notion that women and girls have no place in the world of professional sports. This Afghan cyclist stressed, "You can change this mindset together." She aims to demonstrate that cycling is a good activity that everyone can participate in. This sport is not just for men; it is also for women and girls. It is worth noting that the Hashemi sisters are representing Afghanistan while the current government has imposed many restrictions on the fundamental freedoms of women and girls since taking power, including a ban on girls' sports.

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1 year ago - 556 Visits

Local sources from the Gizab district of Urozgan province report that they (the Hazaras and Shia) paid 15 million Afghanis out of a total of 30 million to the Pashtuns "under pressure from government forces" in a dispute over land, and if they do not pay the remaining 15 million within the next two months, they will have to leave the area. At least three sources speaking to the Goharshad media outlet stated that the dispute concerns approximately 700 jeribs of fertile land in the Kandir area of Gizab district, and the residents (Hazaras and Shia) claim to have owned it since the time of Daoud Khan, the then-president of Afghanistan. The source mentioned that the local people have sufficient documents proving that this land has been their ancestral property for decades. The source quoted the opposing party (the Pashtuns and Kuchis) as saying that Mohammad Zahir Shah had entrusted this land to their ancestors, and there was already a dispute over it during the previous government. Hazaras and Shia in the Kandir area claim that the Kuchis (immigrants) have no evidence to support their claims. The source emphasized that after the current government came to power, the Hazaras residing in Gizab in the Kandir and Loreh Shibdun areas were subjected to forced displacement. The source added that following media attention on this issue, local officials in Urozgan told the Hazaras they could return to their homes but must resolve the dispute through court or by a decision from elders of both sides. In a resolution issued by the elders of the Hazaras and Pashtuns in the last month of the previous year, it was stated that the Shia community must pay 30 million Afghanis for the land to the Pashtuns within seven months. The local people say this resolution is "unfair" as they have lived in this area for over four decades. The source indicated that the Hazaras and Shia of Gizab protested against this decision, stating that "they do not want to pay for their own land," but had no alternative but to comply with this resolution. At the same time, the Hazaras and Shia residing in Gizab reported that on the 10th of Asad this year, they paid 15 million Afghanis of the agreed amount to the Kuchis. They clarified that the villagers did not have this money themselves and had managed to gather it with great difficulty with help from others. The source stated that government forces have warned them to pay the remaining 15 million Afghanis to the Pashtuns by the beginning of Mizan, or else they would be forced to leave the area. Since the current government came to power in Afghanistan, disputes over land between local residents and Kuchis have escalated in Hazara-populated areas and northern Afghanistan.

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1 year ago - 401 Visits

Ali Reza Vahidzadeh, the director of social welfare in Kerman, Iran, stated that out of 602 child laborers in the city, only eight are Iranian, while 594 are Afghan. Mr. Vahidzadeh made this statement during a press conference, referring to child labor as a "chronic wound." He emphasized that Afghan families are indifferent to the issue of their children's labor. He noted regarding the Afghan child laborers in the city: "Although we have tried multiple times to communicate with these families, they are not as concerned about this issue as we are." The director mentioned that Afghan families in the city see their children "only as a source of labor." The significant presence of Afghan child laborers in Iran has previously faced negative reactions from Iranian officials. Earlier, Ahmad Vahidi, Iran's Minister of Interior, stated that most child laborers on the streets of Iran are foreign nationals. Mr. Vahidi emphasized that the majority of them are "illegal" Afghan migrants and "should return to their country." Additionally, the head of Iran's National Migration Organization announced at the end of last year that Afghan child laborers would be collected and returned to their homeland. It is worth noting that there is currently no accurate statistic available regarding the number of Afghan child laborers in Iran; however, a member of Tehran's City Council previously stated that there are approximately 70,000 child laborers in Tehran alone, with 80 percent of them being Afghan. The spokesperson for Tehran's municipality also mentioned a plan for collecting Afghan child laborers and waste pickers, stating that they will be returned to Afghanistan.

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1 year ago - 656 Visits

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that nearly 8 million citizens of Afghanistan have left their homeland since 2020. In a published report, the organization stated that among these, one million Afghan citizens have sought refuge in European countries, while 85 percent have gone to neighboring countries. The report mentions that since the current government came to power in Asad 1400 (August 2021), economic inflation in the country has significantly increased, and during this period, more than half of the population has experienced poverty. The United States government signed a peace agreement with the caretaker government in Doha, Qatar, on February 29, 2020, and many believe that this agreement paved the way for the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the entry of the current government into Kabul. The IOM emphasized that about 70 percent of Afghans migrating to Iran say they have left their homeland due to a lack of job opportunities. The organization added that the number of Afghan returnees from Iran is also significant, with nearly one million Afghans returning to their country in 2023. Seventy percent of the returnees did not have residency documents. The report states that many citizens of Afghanistan prefer to migrate to other countries through illegal means due to difficulties in obtaining passports and visas, often paying human traffickers to cross borders. The IOM report indicates that Afghans without access to travel documents face greater threats, including human rights violations while crossing borders and in neighboring countries. The organization notes that this group of Afghans encounters "cruel, inhumane, and degrading" treatment. Furthermore, the International Organization for Migration has called on countries to halt the deportation of Afghan migrants until conditions for their return are "safe, dignified, and voluntary." It is noteworthy that in recent months, the governments of Pakistan and Iran have increased the deportation of Afghan migrants lacking residency documents. According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Refugees and Returnees of the current government, more than a thousand Afghan migrants are deported daily from these two countries.

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