Top UN woman urges Muslims: Move Taliban into 21st century

Top UN woman urges Muslims: Move Taliban into 21st century
1 / 2
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed says Muslim countries need to help Afhanistan's Taliban rulers to move from the “13th century to the 21st.” (AFP file)
Top UN woman urges Muslims: Move Taliban into 21st century
2 / 2
In this photo taken on January 19, 2022, Taliban officials listening as Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund speaks at the former presidential place in Kabul. (Taliban handout via AFP)
Short Url
Updated 26 January 2023

Top UN woman urges Muslims: Move Taliban into 21st century

Top UN woman urges Muslims: Move Taliban into 21st century
  • “Their definition of protection would be, I would say, ours of oppression,” says UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed
  • Mohammed, a former Nigerian Cabinet minister, her delegation met with Taliban officials last week to discuss how they treat Afghan women

UNITED NATIONS: The highest-ranking woman at the United Nations said Wednesday she used everything in her “toolbox” during meetings with Taliban ministers to try to reverse their crackdown on Afghan women and girls, and she urged Muslim countries to help the Taliban move from the “13th century to the 21st.”
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, a former Nigerian Cabinet minister and a Muslim, said at a news conference that four Taliban ministers, including the foreign minister and a deputy prime minister, spoke “off one script” during meetings with her delegation last week.
She said the officials sought to stress things that they say they have done and not gotten recognition for — and what they called their effort to create an environment that protects women.
“Their definition of protection would be, I would say, ours of oppression,” Mohammed said.

 

Those meetings in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the Islamic group’s birthplace in Kandahar were followed by a visit this week by UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths and heads of major aid groups. They are pressing the Taliban to reverse their edict last month banning Afghan women from working for national and international non-governmental groups.
Speaking from Kabul on Wednesday, Griffiths said the focus of the visit was to get the Taliban to understand that getting aid operations up and running and allowing women to work in them was critical. The delegation’s message was simple — that the ban makes the groups’ work more difficult, he said.
“What I heard from all those I met (was) that they understood the need as well as the right for Afghan women to work, and that they will be working on a set of guidelines which we will see issued in due course, which will respond to those requirements,” Griffiths said.
Mohammed said her delegation, including the head of UN Women, which promotes gender equality and women’s rights, pushed back against the Taliban, including when they started talking about humanitarian principles.
“We reminded them that in humanitarian principles, non-discrimination was a key part … and that they were wiping out women from the workplace,” she said.
As a Sunni Muslim, like the Taliban officials, Mohammed said she told the ministers that when it comes to preventing girls’ education beyond sixth grade and taking away women’s rights, they are not following Islam and are harming people.




In this photo released on January 19, 2022, Taliban officials listen as Afghan Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund speaks at the former presidential place in Kabul. (AFP) 

In one setting, Mohammed said, she was told by a Taliban official she didn’t name that “it was haram (forbidden by Islamic law) for me to be there talking to them.” These conservatives won’t look straight at a woman, she noted, so she said she played “that game” and didn’t look directly at them either.
“I gave as much as I think they gave, and we did push,” she said.
Mohammed said the Taliban have said that in due course the rights taken away from women and girls will come back so the UN delegation pressed for a timeline. “What they would say was ‘soon,’” she said.

The Taliban took power for a second time in August 2021, during the final weeks of the US and NATO forces’ pullout from Afghanistan after 20 years of war.
Mohammed said the Taliban, who have not been recognized by a single country, want international recognition and Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations, which is currently held by the former government led by Ashraf Ghani.
“Recognition is one leverage that we have and we should hold onto,” Mohammed said.
Before arriving in Kabul, Mohammed’s delegation traveled to Muslim majority countries, including Indonesia, Turkiye, Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, where she said there was wide support against the Taliban bans.
She said there is a proposal for the UN and the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation to host an international conference in mid-March on women in the Muslim world.
“It’s very important that the Muslim countries come together,” she said. “We have to take the fight to the region … and we need to be bold about it and courageous about it because women’s rights matter.”
Griffiths, the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, and his delegation, including the heads of Care International and Save the Children US, did not travel to Kandahar, where the ban on Afghan women working for NGOs was issued on the orders of the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzdaza.




Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief. (AFP)

Griffiths acknowledged Akhundzada’s top status but said there are many important voices among Taliban officials across the country.
“I don’t think it’s a simple matter of simply asking one man to take responsibility and to change an edict,” he said. “There is a collective responsibility for this edict, and I hope we’re building up a collective will to compensate for its ban.”
Save the Children’s Janti Soeripto said that there were meetings with eight ministries in two days and that some among the Taliban seemed to understand the need to reverse the ban.
“There’s resistance, they don’t want to be seen doing a U-turn,” she said. “If people don’t see the consequences as viscerally as we see them, people will feel less inclined.”
Mohammed said it is important for the UN and its partners to work more in some 20 Afghan provinces that are more forward leaning.
“A lot of what we have to deal with is how we travel the Taliban from the 13th century to the 21st,” she said. “That’s a journey. So it’s not just overnight.”
She said the Taliban told her delegation that it is putting forward a law against gender-based violence, which she called “a big plus” because rape and other attacks are increasing in Afghanistan.
“I want to hold the Taliban to champion implementing that law,” she said.
Mohammed said it is important to maximize whatever leverage there is to bring the Taliban back to the principles underpinning participation in the “international family.”
“No one objects to a Muslim country or Sharia (law),” she said. “But all of this cannot be re-engineered to extremism and taking views that harm women and girls. This is absolutely unacceptable, and we should hold the line.”


US charges Korean crypto fugitive after reported arrest in Montenegro

US charges Korean crypto fugitive after reported arrest in Montenegro
Updated 18 min 21 sec ago

US charges Korean crypto fugitive after reported arrest in Montenegro

US charges Korean crypto fugitive after reported arrest in Montenegro
  • Kwon Do-hyung and five others connected to Terraform are wanted for fraud and the implosion of its digital currencies in May 2022
  • Montenegro’s interior ministry said Thursday the tycoon was apprehended on a South Korean warrant

WASHINGTON: Fugitive South Korean cryptocurrency entrepreneur Do Kwon, accused of orchestrating a multi-billion-dollar fraud that shook global crypto markets last year, has been arrested in Montenegro and faces fresh criminal charges in the United States.
Kwon was arrested along with another South Korean national, Montenegro’s interior ministry said Thursday, which added that the tycoon was apprehended on a South Korean warrant.
“Kwon Do-hyung and Han Chang-joon were arrested and brought to the state prosecutor’s office in Podgorica for the criminal act of document forgery,” an interior ministry statement said.
During passport control for a flight to Dubai the two “used falsified travel documents from Costa Rica, which was established also by Interpol checks,” it said.
Inspection of their luggage also found travel documents from Belgium and South Korea, while Interpol checks discovered that Belgian documents were forged, the ministry added.
Police seized from them three laptop devices and five mobile phones.
Their entry into Montenegro has not been registered, the ministry said.
South Korea has issued a warrant for them for the offense of “criminal association,” it added.
South Korea asked Interpol in September to circulate a “red notice” for the 31-year-old across the agency’s 195 member nations.
Kwon and five others connected to Terraform are wanted for fraud and the implosion of its digital currencies in May 2022.
The US federal indictment charged the 31-year-old Kwon with eight counts, including securities fraud, commodities fraud and wire fraud. The charges follow a lawsuit a month ago from the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Kwon’s TerraUSD was designed as a “stablecoin,” which are pegged to stable assets like the US dollar to prevent drastic fluctuations in prices.
However, around $40 billion in market value was erased for the holders of TerraUSD and its floating sister currency, Luna, after the stablecoin plunged far below its $1 peg in May last year.
Kwon is accused of “orchestrating a multi-billion-dollar crypto asset securities fraud,” according to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Many investors lost their life savings when Luna and Terra entered a death spiral, and South Korean authorities had opened multiple criminal probes into the crash.
Cryptocurrencies have come under increasing scrutiny from regulators across the globe following a string of recent controversies, including the high-profile collapse of the crypto exchange FTX.
FTX and its sister trading house Alameda Research went bankrupt late last year, dissolving a virtual trading business that had been valued by the market at $32 billion.
The fall of FTX has caused major doubts about the long-term viability of cryptocurrency and heaped stress on further platforms and entities that rode the success of Bitcoin and other currencies.
To add to its mounting woes, the digital currency sector has also been hit hard by the demise of US crypto lenders Silvergate and Signature amid a string of banking failures that have rattled global markets and sparked fears of future economic turmoil.
 


Big-driving McIlroy, Scheffler, Rahm notch victories at WGC Match Play

Big-driving McIlroy, Scheffler, Rahm notch victories at WGC Match Play
Updated 27 min ago

Big-driving McIlroy, Scheffler, Rahm notch victories at WGC Match Play

Big-driving McIlroy, Scheffler, Rahm notch victories at WGC Match Play
  • Scheffler and McIlroy remained unbeaten while Rahm bounced back from an opening loss

WASHINGTON: An amazing tee shot by Rory McIlroy led the world No. 3 to join top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler and second-ranked Jon Rahm in capturing clutch victories from Thursday’s second group matches at the WGC Match Play Championship.

McIlroy made an epic drive with a stunning 375-yard blast at the 18th hole, landing the ball within four feet of the hole for a tap-in eagle that clinched a 2-up triumph over US 48th seed Denny McCarthy.

“It was good,” McIlroy said. “I didn’t think I could get it on the green.”

Scheffler and McIlroy remained unbeaten while Rahm bounced back from an opening loss at Austin (Texas) Country Club, where 16 winners from four-man groups will advance to weekend knockout rounds.

Four-time major winner McIlroy, the 2015 Match Play champion from Northern Ireland, did not lead McCarthy until the par-5 16th hole, when McIlroy had a tap-in birdie and the American missed a seven-foot birdie putt to put McIlroy 1 up.

Then came McIlroy’s clinching tee shot, which was airborne for 349 yards, nearly 70 yards longer than the average PGA Tour carry, before rolling up to the cup for a tap-in.

“I just played really well, played really solid,” McIlroy said. “Didn’t make a bogey and made some birdies when I needed to and thankfully was able to win.”

Also in McIlroy’s group, US 20th seed Keegan Bradley won his first WGC match in 11 years, ripping compatriot Scott Stallings 6 and 5.

McIlroy need only tie Bradley on Friday to advance.

Reigning Masters champion Scheffler, who won the Players Championship earlier this month, downed Swedish 38th seed Alex Noren 5 and 4 after only edging US 54th seed Davis Riley 1 up in a Wednesday opener.

“I just went out and played solid, no bogeys, and made some key putts,” said Scheffler, who lost the first hole but won six, seven and the first four holes on the back nine with birdies.

“I just kind of kept the pressure on him and hit really good shots.”

On Friday, Scheffler faces South Korean 17th seed Tom Kim, who lost 1 up to Riley.

“To be able to win my match and get through the group would be nice,” Scheffler said. “What I’ll be focused on tomorrow is getting off to a good start.”

Rahm, a three-time PGA winner this year, bounced back from an opening loss to Rickie Fowler by beating US 39th seed Keith Mitchell 4 and 3.

The Spaniard made five birdies and a 14-foot eagle putt at the par-5 12th while never trailing to keep his title hopes alive.

“Not many mistakes tee to green,” Rahm said. “Made a few birdie putts and got a comfortable lead.”

Rahm needs a Friday victory over 2021 WGC Match Play champion Billy Horschel to have a chance to advance.

“Not many pairings are going to have more electricity on the course than me and Billy,” Rahm said. “I’m going to have to get the win.”

Horschel beat Fowler 3 and 2 after an opening draw with Mitchell.

“Happy to be able to control my destiny tomorrow,” Horschel said.

US fourth seed Patrick Cantlay beat South Korea’s Lee Kyoung-hoon 4 and 2 and faces countryman Brian Harman on Friday for a last-16 berth while US fifth seed Max Homa reached 2-0 by beating 2019 Match Play champion and 2022 runner-up Kevin Kisner 3 and 2.

US seventh seed Will Zalatoris was eliminated with a 5 and 3 loss to US 37th seed Harris English and Norway’s eighth-seeded Viktor Hovland was ousted with a 4 and 3 loss to South Korean 34th seed Kim Si-woo.

Chris Kirk sank a nine-foot birdie putt to win 18 and tie 2013 Match Play winner Matt Kuchar, keeping the 44-year-old from matching the event record 36 match wins of Tiger Woods.

Australian 32nd seed Jason Day, the 2014 and 2016 Match Play champion, beat France’s Victor Perez 2 and 1 and will play US ninth seed Collin Morikawa for a last-16 berth.

“It feels like you’re playing Sunday every round,” Day said. “You know he’s going to be around all day... I’m excited for the challenge.”


US conducts airstrikes in Syria in response to deadly drone attack — Pentagon

US conducts airstrikes in Syria in response to deadly drone attack — Pentagon
Updated 6 min 54 sec ago

US conducts airstrikes in Syria in response to deadly drone attack — Pentagon

US conducts airstrikes in Syria in response to deadly drone attack — Pentagon
  • Strikes targeted groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp

WASHINGTON: The US military carried out multiple air strikes in Syria on Thursday night against Iran-aligned groups who it blamed for a deadly drone attack that killed a contractor, injured another and wounded five US troops, the Pentagon said.
The strikes were in retaliation for an attack against a US-led coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria at approximately 1:38 p.m. (1038 GMT) on Thursday, it said.
The US intelligence community assessed that the drone was Iranian in origin, the military said.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes targeted groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
“The airstrikes were conducted in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC,” Austin said in a statement.

 


Argentina beat Panama in first match after World Cup title

Argentina beat Panama in first match after World Cup title
Updated 54 min 28 sec ago

Argentina beat Panama in first match after World Cup title

Argentina beat Panama in first match after World Cup title
  • Argentina’s full squad in Qatar attended the match and took pictures in front of the World Cup replica trophy before kick off

BUENOS AIRES: The 83,000 screaming fans were not disappointed in Lionel Messi and his Argentina team’s first international match since lifting the World Cup title last December.

Messi’s Argentina beat Panama 2-0 with two late goals Thursday night at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium in Buenos Aires, in the first of two matches for the team to celebrate their triumph in Qatar.

Thiago Almada opened the scoring in the 78th minute, pushing the ball into an empty net after a free kick taken by Messi hit the post. Eleven minutes later, the Argentine great netted the second with another free kick to the delight of the capacity crowd.

It was Messi’s 800th goal in his professional career. If he scores another in Argentina’s next friendly against Curacao on Tuesday, he will hit the mark of 100 goals for the national team.

Argentina’s full squad in Qatar attended the match and took pictures in front of the World Cup replica trophy before kick off. Messi and others brought their families to the stadium.

The match culminates a week in which the 35-year-old Messi was widely celebrated as a hero after helping Argentina win their third World Cup title, a remarkable change from years when some of the same fans accused him of apathy with the national team.
 


Prince William thanks Poland for generosity to Ukrainians

Prince William thanks Poland for generosity to Ukrainians
Updated 24 March 2023

Prince William thanks Poland for generosity to Ukrainians

Prince William thanks Poland for generosity to Ukrainians
  • The heir to the throne’s visit to Poland underscores Britain’s support for both Ukraine and Poland
  • The UK has been one of the most outspoken supporters of bolstering NATO’s eastern flank in the face of Russia’s aggression

 

WARSAW, Poland: Britain’s Prince William paid tribute on Thursday to Poles who lost their lives in past wars, and expressed gratitude to the nation for what it is doing today to provide humanitarian and military support to Ukraine.
The heir to the throne’s visit to Poland underscores Britain’s support for both Ukraine and Poland, an ally on the front line of efforts to help refugees displaced by Russia’s war and to assist the Ukrainian military in fighting off the invasion.
William laid a wreath in Poland’s national colors, white and red, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and bowed his head solemnly. The memorial honors Poles who lost their lives in wars including World War II, when Polish and British soldiers were allies.
A note on the wreath that he left read: “In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
He later headed to the presidential palace for a meeting with President Andrzej Duda, who has been a prominent ally of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago. Duda’s office said their talks focused on humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
“The Prince of Wales thanked the Poles for their generosity and hospitality,” Duda’s office said.
In the final stop on his two-day visit, the prince then went to a trendy food hall where he met with young Ukrainians working or continuing their studies in Poland.
William began his surprise visit Wednesday by meeting with British and Polish troops in Rzeszow, a city of 200,000 people in southeastern Poland that has become a hub for shipments of military and humanitarian aid bound for Ukraine.
“I just wanted to come here in person to say thank you for all that you’re doing, keeping everyone safe out here and keeping an eye on what’s going on,″ William said as he spoke to the troops.
He later traveled to a center in Warsaw that houses about 300 recent arrivals from Ukraine, meeting Ukrainians and playing table tennis with children.
The UK has been one of the most outspoken supporters of bolstering NATO’s eastern flank in the face of Russia’s aggression. The country sent troops to Poland and the Baltic states and provided more than 2.3 billion pounds ($2.8 billion) of military aid to Ukraine. It also has pledged 220 million pounds ($269 million) of humanitarian assistance.
Deploying the popular 40-year-old prince, a military veteran who also worked as a civilian air-sea rescue pilot, offers a more personal touch. While British political leaders have visited Poland regularly to trumpet their support for NATO and the Ukrainian cause, a senior royal like William is a symbol of the nation who can thank military personnel for their service without the baggage of party politics.