2024: Dec wk4 -- Dec wk3

 When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

Preface:
The assad regime has fallen leaded by the HTS forces and allies. Thousands-and-thousands of Syrians are more than relieved and happy and dream of a new and democratic united Syria. But... HTS is former Al Qaida i.e. its offspring ISIS and even when its leader seems outspokingly open for a united Syria only time will tell if this will be the path under construction and in reality will be the outcome or...
will HTS be a wolf in sheepsclothes that will in the coming weeks/months show its real face?
Therefor I, as the editor-in-chief of cryfreedom.net, will 'limit' my reporting about the developments in Syria centered around the Kurdish situation, with a possible re-surrection of the Peshmergas (the women-led sub-military female guerillas fighting against Turkey and the IS) and now most likely against the HTS and other minorities i.e. women in general and Alavites (Shi'ites), christians among others. And also, let's not forget that HTS with freeing prisoners from assads' jails they also freed Al Qaeida/ISIS fanatics and the regimes' pillars were Turkey (Erdogan) who wages war against the Kurds, Russia (Poetin), Iran (the Shi'itic regime under khamenei) and Libanon (the hezoballah = Shi'ite). One of the questions is if there will be a Syrian 'axes-day', as it was called after WW2 when the hunt for nazis was open, or will Syria really become an open and multi-etnic/religious democracy? With the fall of assad the danger of an, again, a civil war in Syria and an all-out war in the Middle East is nearer than one expects.
Given this new situation of course the other reporting about the Womens Arab Spring 1.2 revolutions will continue as has and will be it for now basically fully centered around the many brave women in Afghanistan who are continuously struggling against the despotic taliban who, let's face facts, are trying hard to eraditate women from the Afghani earth. But we know and they know too that women aren't as easy a target as wished.
So here goes: the cryfreedom.net reporting about their struggle.
Gino d'Artali


Purple Saturdays' Movement
Jinha - Womens News Agency - December 19, 2024 - by BAHARAN LEHIB
<<Afghan activist: Women must fight together to win
Shahla Shahbaz, an Afghan women's rights activist, condemns the ongoing attacks on North and East Syria, calling on the Middle Eastern women to unite. "We must fight together to win."
Takhar-In statements and messages, women all around the world express their solidarity with the women resisting the attacks of the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions on North and East Syria. In an interview with NuJINHA, Shahla Shahbaz, an Afghan women’s rights activist in Afghanistan’s Takhar province, condemned the ongoing attacks of the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions in North and East Syria, calling on all women to unite.
'The people of my country have faced the crimes committed in other countries today'
Speaking about the massacres committed by armed factions in North and East Syria, she said, "The Turkish state and its armed factions have kept attacking Rojava, killing many civilians, including women and children. What is going on in Rojava is very painful for me because I have been suffering from the same pain in my country for 40 years. Many women and children have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. The people of my country have faced the crimes being committed in other Middle Eastern countries today and they still face them. People face crimes against humanity such as massacres, rapes and rights violations. As Afghan women, we know such crimes because we have witnessed all these crimes for 40 years."
'The Middle Eastern women must unite'
Calling for a joint struggle, Shahla Shahbaz said, "As women of the Middle East, we must unite. We must take up arms and fight against the occupation, like the people of Kobanê and Rojava. Otherwise, we will witness new crimes and betrayals in neighboring countries every day. We must raise our voices and fight to win. Women must be aware that the only way to break the chains of oppressors is to fight for justice, rights and freedom." >>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/afghan-activist-women-must-fight-together-to-win-36189?page=1

Zan Times - December 16, 2024 - By: Karima Muradi
<<Deportation and unemployment haunt former Afghan military women in Iran
Maryam fled to Iran in February 2022 due to security threats from the Taliban. Since then, the 30-year-old former employee of Afghanistan's security forces has endured numerous hardships as a refugee. Maryam says she has yet to find a job and faces severe financial difficulties. Her living conditions worsen by the day. Her brother works as a street vendor, and the family relies on his meager income to survive. "In Afghanistan, I was deprived of work and under threat. My brothers were in school there, but in Iran, they’ve been forced to work on the streets," she explains.
She left Afghanistan because of her fear of Taliban reprisals. Maryam recounts that in January 2022, while still in Afghanistan, Taliban intelligence repeatedly summoned her to their headquarters. She refused to surrender herself. Within a week of those phone calls, Taliban forces raided her home in a northern province. "It was evening when four armed men arrived in a vehicle. We were all home. They knocked on the door, and my brother opened it. Without permission, they entered the yard. They demanded that I go with them. They tried to take me by force and assaulted me," she recounts to Zan Times. That night, after much pleading, the Taliban agreed to take her brother instead. "My brother is still in prison, but I managed to escape," says Maryam. Now, the threat of forced deportation from Iran makes her life unbearable. Reports indicate that the Taliban have interrogated, imprisoned, or even killed former Afghan military personnel who returned to Afghanistan from Iran. Zan Times has previously reported on the dire conditions faced by female military personnel in Afghanistan. According to Human Rights Watch, the Taliban have threatened the lives of women who served as police officers in the previous government. A 26-page report, "Double betrayal: Abuse of Afghan women in police forces, past and present," highlights how Taliban threats have forced many of these women into hiding. The report also notes that many of these women fled to neighbouring countries, where their problems persist due to issues such as lack of legal residency, unemployment, and the fear of deportation.
Maryam and her brothers live in Iran without official residency documents and fear for their lives every day they leave home. She says that Iranian authorities have recently increased pressure on Afghan migrants, and she dreads the possibility of being sent back to Afghanistan. In addition to government actions, Maryam describes the hostile social environment in Iran: "They don't see us as migrants or grant us the rights of refugees. Our psychological and financial problems increase every day. I don't know how much longer we can live with all these difficulties."
Another former defence official who lives in fear in Iran is Zahra, a 25-year-old officer who worked for four years in Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence. Now, Zahra and her husband live in Iran where they both work in a jewellery box-making workshop. Their combined income barely covers their monthly expenses. "We are not in a good economic situation. Life in Iran gets harder every day. The future is uncertain, and rent is very expensive. To rent a house, we must pay a large deposit in advance. Without it, finding a home is impossible," she explains.
In the past year, 1.6 million Afghans have been deported from Iran. According to a BBC Persian report published on November 14, 2024, the Taliban's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation stated that nearly 150,000 Afghans returned to Afghanistan last month alone. Most were either deported from Iran or voluntarily returned. Thousands of former security personnel and other vulnerable individuals at risk of Taliban persecution are believed to be among those expelled from Iran in the past year. Previously, the Committee for the Protection of Former Afghan Military Personnel reported that Iran's government has been registering former Afghan military members who sought refuge in the country. Given the improving relations between Iran and the Taliban, there is concern that some of these individuals may be deported and handed over to the Taliban. Even Afghans with residency permits have been deported in recent months, Zahra states, noting that the treatment of Afghans in Iran has worsened: "Iranians say, 'You've come to Iran, taken jobs from our youth, and driven up housing rents. Go back to your country.'"
Somaya, 39, a former employee of Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense, fled to Iran in the fall of 2023 due to Taliban threats. Having served for seven years in various roles at the Defence Ministry in Kabul, including as a service officer in Khost province, Somaya entered Iran legally by air with her parents and younger sister but lacks residency documents and is unemployed. Now married, she lives with her husband in Qom province. "Administrative jobs are not given to Afghan migrants here. My visa expired, and they won't renew it," Somaya explains. "We can't return to Afghanistan because of Taliban retaliation, and here we have no opportunities for work or living. Afghan refugees face a very hard life - no residency permits, no jobs, only harassment and deportation," she laments. Somaya finds some solace in the fact that her husband has legal residency and can work. Many Afghan families, including Maryam's, have no family members with legal documentation. However, Somaya says her husband's income as a plasterer is insufficient to meet their family’s needs. She dreams of obtaining a residency permit and the right to work herself. She says she sought refuge in Iran hoping for work and legal residency but has received no meaningful support from either the Iranian government or international organizations assisting migrants. "We have not been supported by anyone - not financially or in any other way," she says.
Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees and writer. Karima Muradi is the pseudonym of a journalist from Afghanistan.>>
Source: https://zantimes.com/2024/12/16/deportation-and-unemployment-haunt-former-afghan-military-women-in-iran/


Purple Saturdays' Movement
Jinha - Womens News Agency - December 16, 2024 - ASMAA FATHI
<<Afghan women no longer want external actors to determine their future
In a statement, the Purple Saturdays’ Movement urged Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, to resign.
News Center- In a statement on Saturday, the Purple Saturdays' Movement, an advocacy group focused on women's rights and empowerment in Afghanistan, called on Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), to step down from her position. "Afghan women no longer support her work in the country and demand that she leave her post as soon as possible," the statement said, stressing that Afghanistan women are prepared to take charge of the initiatives that UNAMA currently oversees. Roza Otunbayeva’s presence is no longer aligned with Afghan women's interests or aspirations, the movement underlined, accusing Roza Otunbayeva of failing to fulfill UNAMA's mandate to protect human rights, particularly women's rights. "If you truly have a clear conscience, please vacate the UNAMA post in Afghanistan. Otherwise, we will intensify our efforts to hold you accountable through legal channels at the international level. Instead of opposing the blatant violations of human rights, UNAMA's conciliatory stance has normalized relations with the Taliban, facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars under the guise of humanitarian aid, and neglected Afghanistan's ongoing humanitarian crises."
Highlighting that Afghanistan women no longer want external actors to determine their future without their direct involvement, the movement said, “If UNAMA continues to support the Taliban under the pretense of engagement, we will submit an official petition to the UN Secretary-General, demanding the non-renewal of UNAMA's mandate and the closure of its offices in Afghanistan. The movement also called on international human rights organizations to put pressure on the UN to fulfill its responsibility to uphold human rights standards in Afghanistan. At the UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Roza Otunbayeva said, "Isolation is not the solution, and we must continue to engage to build trust for the benefit of the Afghan people. Across Afghanistan, many people tell us that they want us to engage more with the de facto authorities and to help them to engage more." >>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/afghan-women-no-longer-want-external-actors-to-determine-their-future-36167


Jinha - Womens News Agency - December 19, 2024
<<Turkiye blocks access to accounts of NuJINHA on X
A Turkish court has blocked access to NuJINHA’s Turkish, Kurdish and English accounts on social media platform X.
News Center- A Turkish court has blocked access to NuJINHA’S Turkish, Kurdish and English accounts on social media platform X.
"@kurmanci_jinha" (NuJINHA's Kurdish account on X), "@jinha_nu" (NuJINHA's Turkish account on X) and @nujinha_english" (NuJINHA's English account on X) were blocked to access by the Kocaeli 1st Criminal Court of Peace on Wednesday evening. The court decision was sent to our news agency's email address; however, the court demands the article in question be removed within four hours without giving information about which article.>>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/turkiye-blocks-access-to-accounts-of-nujinha-on-x-36190?page=1

ZAN times - September 4, 2024
<<The struggle for a secular state is the right response to the Taliban's new retrograde law
The Taliban have introduced a new law that tightens the noose of oppression on the people of Afghanistan, especially women. It gives the Taliban morality police enormous power to invade and scrutinize citizens' lives. The new law aims at further <Islamizing> both state and society by intensifying social oppressions and making women invisible and has sparked fury inside and outside the country. The most outrageous part of the new Taliban law is the now notorious Article 13, which states, <Covering the entire body of a woman is obligatory. Concealing a woman’s face is necessary due to the fear of temptation. A woman's voice is aurat. Whenever an adult woman leaves her home for a necessary purpose, she is obliged to conceal her voice, face, and body.> The dictionary definition of the Arabic word, aurat, is <defectiveness, genitalia, and private parts>; as a religious concept, it means those parts that are <required to be covered, while in public.> The introduction of this law is part of the long-pursued Taliban policy to erase women from public life entirely. This dehumanization of women in Afghanistan is designed to eliminate women's social presence in the country, which is the most important feature of an ideal Islamic society for the Taliban. Another prominent aspect of the law is that it grants extensive power to the vice and virtue police, enabling them to closely monitor and invade people's lives and allows them to use coercion to enforce compliance of the emirate's rules and laws. According to the law, the vice and virtue police can <reprimand and threaten> and <use harsh words.> They can also imprison transgressors for up to three days, or they can use <any penalty> that they <deem appropriate.> Even before this law, the Taliban religious police have engaged in the arbitrary abuse and beating of women for showing their faces and of men for shaving their beards or other perceived transgressions. The new law will intensify those abuses, particularly in already oppressed and marginalized sectors of society. The law even allows the vice and virtue police to punish individuals for coming late for mass prayers and to punish whole neighbourhoods or communities for not organizing mass prayers. The law has rightly outraged many both inside and outside the country. Groups of women are singing songs and sharing them on social media in protest of the ban on women's voices. Many commentators have criticized it and have written condemnations of it. Many have acknowledged that the new law demonstrates that life under Taliban rule is becoming increasingly impossible, therefore, the overwhelming majority of the people seek an end to the Taliban's reign of oppression and discrimination. To formulate a correct response to the Taliban decision, it is important to understand the regime's rationale behind implementing such a retrograde law. The Taliban have declared their intention of forming an Islamic system in Afghanistan. For the Taliban, their political legitimacy emanates from the fact that they intend to build a system based on their version of sharia. To abandon the cause of building an Islamic system is to denounce their own right to rule.
In their doctrine, the Taliban are obligated to establish an Islamic system. According to this doctrine, the people are perceived to be like cattle, and the Taliban mullahs are shepherds who are responsible for guiding and organizing all spheres of people’s lives. Therefore, it is the prime responsibility of an Islamic government to ensure people's salvation in the afterlife. Their worldview and understanding of the functions and responsibilities of government is clear in the Taliban's new law. The Taliban think it is the government's principal responsibility to ensure that people are performing their obligations to God, with those duties strictly defined by the mullahs. The people are considered ignorant of the ways of God while the mullahs are responsible for ensuring the people do not indulge in vices and trump the rights of God. Implementing God's law provides the Taliban the right to rule while the people are subject to this tyranny by the command of God’s law. In the name of God's law, the Taliban are denying the humanity of the people of Afghanistan. As humans, we have the capacity to think, plan, and work to achieve individual or collective objectives. As human beings are responsible for our own affairs. As human beings not only have this capability but also have a moral responsibility to exercise our humanity, to reflect, to understand, and to act. Therefore, to form a government that is responsive to our needs and make laws in accordance with our circumstances is our fundamental human rights and responsibility. However, Taliban doctrine denies that humans in Afghanistan have this fundamental human essence. The mullahs advocate that they have a predestined code of life, truly understood only by the Taliban, and upon which they have a right and responsibility to govern. That tyranny is one in which no one has the right to raise a finger in objection as even the softest of criticism is forbidden. The core of Taliban politics is the political disenfranchisement of the people of Afghanistan. That can be clearly seen in their recent law, which effectively denies the humanity of the population. A correct and justified response to this law is to reject the Taliban’s core claim of forming an Islamic system. It is time for the people of Afghanistan to demand the separation of religion and politics and to assert their human right to self-determination. In the face of a regime that claims to defend the rights of God against the people, we must demand a government that is responsive to the needs of its citizens, is without divine claims, and one that respects the political agency and self-determination of the people. Therefore, a proper response to the new Taliban law is to reject the essence of Taliban politics and demand secularism.>>
Source: https://zantimes.com/2024/09/04/the-struggle-for-a-secular-state-in-afghanistan-is-the-right-response-to-talibans-new-retrograde-law/

Women's Liberation Front 2019/cryfreedom.net 2024