I reviewed several posts on social media to reflect the reactions of Afghan users regarding the fall of the "Republic" and the rise of the "Emirate." The responses varied, with some expressing approval and others disapproval, but the majority of critical posts came from Afghan women and girls.
Tarz Press – At the forefront is the perspective of an Afghan woman named Saleha Aini. She criticized the world's double standards and silence on the Taliban's treatment of Afghan women in a Facebook post. She warned that if the international community continues to remain silent, the Taliban will become even bolder in their oppression of women and girls. Similarly, Marwa Amini, another Afghan woman, posted a full-body photo of herself wearing a "burqa" on Instagram, protesting the Taliban's restrictions on women. She stated that the Taliban are committing "injustice" while the world watches. Marwa described this day not just as the fall of a government but as the collapse of a nation's hopes.
Additionally, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, in response to the third anniversary of the Taliban's takeover on August 15, stated that over these three years, women's rights in Afghanistan have been violated by a regime that lacks both domestic and international legitimacy.
Women's rights are not the only issue that the Afghan people are concerned about. They also suffer from the lack of freedom of expression, individual and social freedoms, and the absence of transparency and accountability in Taliban-run institutions.
Rahmatullah Nabil, a former official during the Republic era, tweeted that August 15, 2021, represents a vivid image of Afghanistan's recurring tragedies. He wrote, "This day is a reminder of a collapse that resulted from decades of war, insecurity, and social and political disorder—a collapse that not only brought down the system but also crushed the hopes and dreams of the Afghan people."
Mohammad Ikram Andeshmand, a social media activist, also criticized the restrictions on Afghan girls in a Facebook post, stating that this could deprive a large segment of society of education.
However, at the end of his post, Andeshmand acknowledged a few positive aspects of the Taliban's rule, including the flight of corrupt leaders and the remaining of their "illegitimate" wealth, the elimination of power islands that had emerged over the past twenty years, and the improvement of security on highways and major roads in the country. He also noted a reduction in corruption in construction projects as one of the positive outcomes of these three years.
