The Taliban are playing appeasement. Barely two days after taking power, the new masters of Afghanistan assured that their adversaries would be forgiven.
“The war is over (… the leader of the Taliban) has forgiven everyone,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. “We are committed to letting women work in accordance with the principles of Islam,” he also said.
The burqa not compulsory
They had previously announced a “general amnesty” for all state officials, calling on everyone to resume their “life habits with full confidence”.
In an interview with the Sky News channel, Suhail Shaheen, spokesperson for the Taliban political office in Doha, for his part assured that the wearing of the burqa, a full veil, would not be compulsory for women because “there is different types of veil ”.
Life takes its course
In Kabul, the Afghan capital, stores have reopened. But there were signs that life would no longer be yesterday’s. The men have swapped their Western clothes for shalwar kameez, the traditional Afghan habit, and state television now broadcasts mostly Islamic programs.
Schools and universities in the capital remain closed, and few women dared to venture outside, although a few gathered outside the entrance to the “green zone” to demand the right to return and work. The Taliban tried unsuccessfully to disperse them before they were persuaded by civilians to leave.
The fear of the Unknown
Since they entered the city on Sunday, after a meteoric offensive that allowed them in ten days to control virtually the entire country, the Taliban have stepped up gestures of appeasement towards the population.
But for many Afghans, trust will be hard to gain. When they were in power (1996-2001), the Taliban had imposed an ultra-rigorous version of Islamic law. Women could neither work nor study, and thieves and murderers faced terrible punishments.
“People are afraid of the unknown,” says a Kabul trader. “The Taliban are patrolling the city in small convoys. They don’t bother anyone, but of course people are afraid ”.
Despite assurances from the Taliban, some information seemed to suggest that they were continuing to search for government officials.
But for the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), crimes and executions in retaliation have been committed in the country, which could amount to violations of international humanitarian law.