2025/'24: Jan wk4 -- Jan wk2 -- Dec wk4 P2 -- 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.

Jinha - Womens News Agency - January 16, 2024
<<More than 500,000 children in Afghanistan at risk of malnutrition in 2025
Over half a million children in Afghanistan are at risk of malnutrition in 2025, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Wednesday.
News Center- Over half a million children in Afghanistan are at risk of malnutrition in 2025, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Wednesday. One of the reasons for the alarming situation is natural hazards and climate-induced shocks, which have limited people's ability to feed their families, according to OCHA. According to OCHA's statistics, almost half of the population - some 22.9 million people - will require humanitarian assistance to survive in 2025.>>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/more-than-500-000-children-in-afghanistan-at-risk-of-malnutrition-in-2025-36354


Malala Yousafzai
Jinha - Womens News Agency - January 14, 2024
<<Malala Yousafzai: The Taliban do not see women as human beings
"In Afghanistan, an entire generation of girls will be robbed of its future. The Taliban in Afghanistan do not see women as human beings," Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said in Islamabad on Sunday.
News Center- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Muslim World League organized a summit on advancing girls' education in Islamic countries in Islamabad on Sunday.
'There is nothing Islamic about the Taliban's policies'
"Simply put, the Taliban in Afghanistan do not see women as human beings," Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said at the summit, stressing that there was "nothing Islamic" about the Taliban’s policies, which ban girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade and women from attending university. "The Taliban are punishing women and girls who dare to break their obscure laws by beating them up, detaining them and harming them," she told Muslim leaders, urging them to challenge the Taliban government in Afghanistan and its repressive policies for girls and women.
"In Afghanistan, an entire generation of girls will be robbed of its future. The Taliban government has again created a system of gender apartheid." >>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/malala-yousafzai-the-taliban-do-not-see-women-as-human-beings-36336?page=1


Amina Mohammed
Jinha - Womens News Agency - January 7, 2024
<<Afghan women react to Amina Mohammed
Afghan women react to Amina Mohammed, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, for saying, "My commitment is unwavering to defend their rights in Islam," in a social media post on Saturday.
News Center- Since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, Afghan women have been targeted in many ways; they have been deprived of their rights for three years. "Women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan continue to be under constant attack. This year the rollbacks have gone further depriving them of a life of dignity," Amina Mohammed, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, said in a post on the social media platform X on Saturday, adding, "We will not give up. My commitment is unwavering to defend their rights in Islam." Her post sparked criticism among Afghan women, saying, "The fate of women should not be sacrificed to international diplomacy and interests. The United Nations must defend women’s rights unconditionally, not within a framework dictated by the Taliban."
'Take urgent action'
Afghan women protesters reacted to the statement of Amina Mohammed, calling on the international community and human rights organizations to "take urgent action to guarantee the rights of Afghan women and girls." "The fate of women should not be sacrificed to international diplomacy and interests," said an Afghan activist. "No agreement should be signed against the fundamental rights of half of the Afghan population." Another Afghan activist said, "The United Nations must defend women's rights unconditionally, not within a framework dictated by the Taliban."
Some Afghan women demand Amina Mohammed be fired for her statement.>>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/afghan-women-react-to-amina-mohammed-36297?page=1

FEATURED


Girls undocumented No education
Zan Times - January 6, 2025 - By: Homa Majid
<<No documents, no education: Afghan girls in Iran
Recently during a first-class class, the Iranian principal in a Tehran school summoned all Afghan students to the office. For students whose documentation was incomplete, she instructed them to visit the Department of Education to resolve those issues. Then, she issued a warning: they would not be allowed back into school until their documents were corrected. The Afghan students exchanged worried glances. It was midterm exam season and they knew that days of chasing paperwork would set them back in their studies and exams. When they left school, they didn't realize that some would never return. Out of 10 Afghan ninth grade students at this school, four have been expelled due to paperwork issues.
'You Stand on My Land'
One Afghan student who had to fix her documentation is a ninth grade student named Soraya. She and her family migrated to Iran six years ago and settled in a village near Tehran. A year later, Soraya got permission to enrol in school, where she's been for the past four years. It hasn’t been easy. "In the early years, we were constantly insulted, cursed at, and even beaten by them," Soraya recounts. "But this year, we sat down and talked with them. They finally realized that there’s no difference between us and them - we're all human. The kids' bad behaviour toward us stemmed from the misguided beliefs of people like our principal, who has always been prejudiced against us." When she went to the Department of Education, an official informed her that her problems stemmed from incomplete paperwork for her mother. Soraya and her mother followed the officer's advice and paid two million tomans to renew her mother's passport at the Afghan Embassy. When they returned with the up-to-date passport, they were informed that the Department of Education considered it a tourist passport - it was not acceptable. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over Soraya's head. "If we had known this tourist passport was useless, we wouldn't have wasted two million tomans. To get a residency passport, we either have to pay 120 million tomans to brokers for a five-year passport or my mother has to return to Afghanistan and go through the interview and visa process. That alone costs at least 60 or 70million tomans, which we simply cannot afford. Even if we manage to gather the money and my mother goes, there’s no guarantee she'll be able to return, at least not for a long time. My aunt, grandfather, and grandmother went to Afghanistan two years ago to get residency passports and haven't returned yet - my grandfather even passed away there," Soraya tells Zan Times.
According to Soraya, the principal seemed pleased about the expulsion of her and other Afghan students. For years, her discriminatory behaviour had made Soraya despise the learning environment. "Whenever a debate arose over racist remarks, the principal would always blame us and treat us poorly. Twice, she even made me sign a commitment letter, saying, 'You stand on my land; even the clothes you wear belong to me. How dare you argue with Iranian students?' I endured those three years only because education was important to me and I had a clear goal. Alongside school, I attended private art and painting classes. Now, just when I had finally made peace with my classmates and could sit beside them without worry, the Iranian authorities' discriminatory laws disrupted our peace and led to our expulsion." For Soraya, studying was also a reason for her family to stay in Iran. Now that she has been barred from continuing her education, she worries that her family might decide to return to Afghanistan. "I prefer to stay in Iran; here, the chance of going to school is higher than in Afghanistan. Even if school doesn't work out, at least I can pursue my passion and goal-painting-in private classes."
The ruler and the ruled
One of Soraya's classmates, Farshteh, also had to fix her documentation issues at the Department of Education: "The official there didn't let us speak. We could truly feel the dynamic of ruler and ruled. That's why I have this rigid, cold image of that person in my mind - someone who could, for any reason, make me stay home, too." In the end, Farshteh was able to complete her documentation and return to school. But she misses Soraya's presence in school: "The whole class and even the teachers are upset about what happened and constantly ask me about Soraya's situation. Soraya had built a really good relationship with everyone this year, and because she's so playful and full of energy, her absence has left our class quiet and empty." Farshteh updates her friend on the lessons so Soraya won't fall behind in her lessons. That effort is helped because recently, schools have been operating online due to pollution and power shortages, meaning that Soraya can keep up with lessons via the school's online platform.
A hollow display
In early 1994, the Islamic Republic of Iran joined the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, a treaty that stipulates no child should face discrimination or be deprived of education, growth, or life. Yet, in Iran, minority children have continuously suffered from discrimination through the enrollment guidelines for foreign students. Its second chapter details the admission of Afghan students in Iranian schools, which depends on registering their identity information in the Sahma system. To register in this system, children must have valid residency permits and a unique 10-digit code, which is difficult to obtain by Afghans. Even migrants who have managed to obtain those 10-digit codes find that they don't always work properly, thus preventing their children from attending schools. In addition, the Ministry of Education issued guidelines that schools in designated areas where foreign nationals are allowed to reside can allocate only 20 percent of their capacity to Afghan students, whether they have valid residency documents or not.
No hope, but I won't accept it
One of those expelled from school due to her family's incomplete documentation is Monas, who is in the eighth grade. She feels lost. For Monas, who moved to Iran with her family four years ago, school was a path to freedom and independence. Now, all that vanished into thin air. “In Iran, my only solace was studying, but now they’ve taken that away too. If the Taliban leave, I’ll definitely return to Afghanistan. But as long as they're in power, I'd rather stay in Iran - I don't want to witness the oppression of women and children in Afghanistan up close," she tells Zan Times. To fix their documentation problems, Monas’s parents need to return to Afghanistan to reapply for passports and visas, a process that will cost around 150 to 170 million tomans. She feels hurt by the indifference of her school's principal and officials in Iran regarding her expulsion: "After they told me I couldn't return to school until my documents were complete, I had a science exam. I went to school just to take the test so I wouldn't fall behind in case things got resolved. But the principal spoke to me so harshly. She stood in front of the classroom door to make sure I wouldn’t enter. It was as if she no longer saw or heard me. I don't want to stand in front of these people for even a moment, begging them to let me study."
Only the air is on our side
Another Afghan girl no longer able to attend school is Sarah, who was born in Iran but doesn't have a passport and so has no clear path back to school. "I've been going to school all these years with an educational support letter, but now they say that since I don't have census registration, a passport, or a smart card, that letter is no longer valid," she explains. "Years ago, my father went to get the census registration, but the Department of Education official told him that the support letter was enough. Now, the same official says there's nothing he can do; the relevant sites are shut down." Sara's father has said he can't afford the costs of traveling to Afghanistan to get the needed documents. If it comes to that, he plans to take the entire family with him, and they won't return to Iran .
The Leader's decree
Zahra is a mentor at an NGO that supports out-of-school children in Soraya's area. The day after Soraya was denied re-entry to her school, Zahra and Soraya went to the Department of Education. Zahra wanted to investigate the expulsions, which go against a 2015 decree by the Supreme Leader of Iran that states, "No Afghan child, even those residing illegally and without documentation, should be deprived of education. All must be enrolled in Iranian schools." Zahra told an official that Soraya's expulsion goes against this decree. The employee responded, "First, your presence in Iran with these documents is illegal, and you should go back to your country. So don't talk to me about the Leader's decree. Second, this decree has been revoked, and the Ministry of Interior has ordered that foreigners without valid documents can no longer be enrolled." When Soraya asked how she could have been enrolled in the first place and why she was charged tuition, the employee said it was a violation and said it should be refunded.
When Soraya went to her school to collect her tuition refund, the principal said Soraya needed a letter from the provincial department. Even with that letter, she'll only receive three-quarters of her tuition.
Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees and writer. Homa Majid is the pseudonym of a journalist in Iran.>>
Source: https://zantimes.com/2025/01/06/no-documents-no-education-afghan-girls-in-iran/

Earlier feature:

Shima
Zan Times - January 7, 2025 - By: Tamanna Zamani
<<A soldier's widow becomes a cleaner for the Taliban
My name is Shima. I am in my late 30s and have two daughters and a son. My eldest child is nine years old, and my youngest is three and a half. My husband was a soldier in the National Army who was killed in a battle with the Taliban. When my husband was alive, many of the worries and struggles that plague me today did not exist. If he were still alive, he wouldn’t have let me endure so much hardship. The last time he came home from duty was when our youngest child was two months old. He was overjoyed to have a son. A week after he returned to duty, we received the news of his death. People in our country understand the plight of a woman who loses her husband in war. Over the years, thousands of women have endured this bone-crushing grief. When I heard the news of my husband's death, I lost consciousness. It felt as if I were suspended between the heavens and the earth, detached from everything around me. A month after his death, my husband's brothers declared that they would not take responsibility for my family. They told me, <Live your life however you want. If you wish to remarry, that's up to you. We have enough troubles of our own.> I had to start a new life with my three children. I had to be both a mother and a father to my children. First, I pursued the process of registering my husband's martyrdom with government offices. I needed to obtain a widow's ID card. After several days of running around, I finally received the card. Then, I went to the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs to register his case. Slowly, the process was completed, and I received a few months' worth of his salary. At that time, I had asked one of our neighbours to help me find a job as her husband worked in government offices. One day, my neighbour called and said, "My husband has found a job for you; if you can, come over." They had found me a job in security screening. I was overjoyed. At the same time, I was forced to move into my sister's house. Her husband said, "We can't afford to pay the full rent for this house. You take one room, and we'll split the rent." I agreed because it is not easy to rent a house on my own as a woman without a male guardian. I began work. My two daughters attended school, and my son went to a daycare near my workplace. Life was going well. With my salary, I paid rent, bought groceries, and provided clothes for my children. Everything changed when the Taliban regained power. I knew hard times were ahead. My mind was overwhelmed with worries and questions: What would I do as a widow, without a male guardian? Where would I go? A few weeks after the Taliban returned, I was denied entry at work. <You are no longer allowed to come here,> I was left stranded with no support and had no idea how I would feed my children. A month later, everything in the house was gone. My children were trembling with hunger. I couldn't bear to see them like that. So, I put on a chadari (burqa) and began begging, sitting outside a bakery, hoping someone would offer me a few pieces of bread. For weeks, that was my routine. Then the Taliban began rounding up beggars. One day, as I sat near the bakery, a Taliban vehicle arrived. They spoke in Pashto: <Load her up. She's a beggar.> I was trembling with fear, my body weak and my eyes filled with tears. I threw myself at their feet, pleading, "I have three orphans. If you take me, my children will be left alone. Please don't take me - I won't come here again." I clung to their feet, begging until one of them finally said, <Let her go. She won't come again.> I had begged for five weeks, going out in the afternoons and sitting at the bakery until evening. Some people gave me dry bread; others gave small amounts of cash. After that incident, I stayed home, too afraid to go outside. One day, I received a call. It was from an old neighbour, who had emigrated from Afghanistan with her family. They sent me 5,000 afghani every month for a year. Then I lost my phone, which had their contact information. I never heard from them again. One of my relatives worked as a house cleaner, so I went to her, pleading for help to find me a job. A few weeks later, she told me she had found work for me. But then she added, "You know the Taliban are in power now. The house where I've found work belongs to a Taliban. The man is an official in the Emirate." I told her I was scared and couldn’t work in a Taliban household. I worried that if they ever found out I was the widow of a soldier who fought against them, my situation would become far worse. But she reassured me: "You have nothing to fear. The men in that family are away during the day, and when they are home, they stay in the guest room." I needed the money, so I went with her to the Taliban's house. Outside the house, two or three Taliban men stood guard with guns. When we entered, a young woman opened the door and greeted us. She showed me around the house and explained my tasks, saying I needed to come two or three days a week to do laundry, wash dishes, and clean the house. The first time I saw a very young woman who had large eyes and henna-stained hands and feet, I thought she was the daughter of the Taliban owner. But as we talked, I realized she was his third wife. The fear that someone in that family might find out I am the widow of a National Army soldier has always been with me. Over time, I’ve become more familiar with the women in the family. The second wife is a kind woman who likes to talk. Although her Dari isn't fluent and I don't speak Pashto, we still manage to have conversations. One day, she told me about the family: "There were two of us co-wives, and a year and a half ago, we became three. In our tradition, there is no divorce. No matter how difficult things get, we must endure it. I have three children. The eldest co-wife has five, and the youngest has one. No matter how big our family gets, we don't get separate homes. We all live together." It has now been a year and a half since I started working in this house. In addition to my wages, they occasionally provide me with groceries. So far, I have never encountered the owner himself, but I've become familiar with many of the dynamics within the household. Sometimes, I notice that the women fight and argue among themselves. I stay out of their conflicts and focus on my work - washing clothes, cleaning dishes, and tidying up their house. I know the work is risky, but I need to support my children.
Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees and writer. Tamanna Zamani is the pseudonym of a female journalist in Afghanistan.>>
Source: https://zantimes.com/2025/01/07/a-soldiers-widow-becomes-a-cleaner-for-the-taliban/

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