The Ever-Changing Political Landscape Of Afghanistan: Understanding Its Government And Power Dynamics

Afghanistan is officially called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and is led by the Taliban. The government is a theocracy and an emirate, with political power concentrated in the hands of a supreme leader and his clerical advisors, collectively referred to as the Leadership. The Leadership makes all major policy decisions, which are then implemented by the country's civil service and judiciary. As Afghanistan is an Islamic state, governance is based on Sharia law and Pashtunwali, which the Taliban enforces strictly through extensive social and cultural policy.

Afghanistan has a history of being governed as a monarchy, a republic, and a theocracy. The current government is not recognised internationally and lacks a clear constitutional basis. It has been criticised for totalitarianism, human rights violations, a lack of accountability, opacity, and the exclusion of women, religious and ethnic minorities, and those with dissenting views.

Afghanistan's government is a theocracy

The Leadership makes all major policy decisions behind closed doors, which are then implemented by the country's civil service and judiciary. As Afghanistan is an Islamic state, governance is based on Sharia law and Pashtunwali, which the Taliban enforces strictly through extensive social and cultural policy.

The supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is the head of state, commander-in-chief, and religious leader of Afghanistan. The supreme leader has the power to appoint and dismiss the cabinet, judiciary, armed forces general staff, and provincial and municipal governments. The supreme leader also approves or vetos laws drafted by cabinet ministries, after they are vetted by the Ministry of Justice and a review committee for compliance with Islamic law.

The current theocratic government came to power in 2021 with the Taliban's victory in a twenty-year insurgency against the western-backed Islamic Republic. The government is internationally unrecognized and lacks a clear constitutional basis. The Taliban has announced plans to form a constitutional commission and applies its own interpretation of Sharia law.

The Taliban government enforces an authoritarian state and has banned other political parties. The government has been criticized by international observers for totalitarianism, systemic human rights violations, a lack of transparency, and the exclusion of women, religious and ethnic minorities, and those with dissenting views.

The daily life of women in Afghanistan is characterized by uncertainty and insecurity. Women have been excluded from work and education, with those venturing out seeking to go unnoticed for fear of unknowingly breaking a rule that could bring harsh punishment. The Taliban has also reestablished the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which is responsible for suppressing any un-Islamic activity.

The Taliban's theocracy interprets Sharia law to its most violent extent. Public floggings and executions have been ordered, and women are subject to increasingly oppressive policies, including restrictions on their movement, education, and employment.

The Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law

The Taliban has also been known to inflict cruel and unusual punishments on those who disobey their rules. For example, women who wore nail varnish had their thumb tips cut off, and those who refused to declare loyalty to the Taliban were stoned to death. Anyone who broke the rules was subject to public humiliation, beatings by the Taliban's religious police, or execution.

Since regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has attempted to project a more moderate image and has promised to respect the rights of women and minorities within the framework of Sharia law. However, they have been criticized for intolerance of political opposition and for curtailing the rights of women, journalists, and minority groups. The Taliban has also been accused of causing a surge in opium prices and contributing to the economic and humanitarian crises in the country.

While the Taliban claims to have achieved progress in checking widespread corruption, institutional safeguards have been weakened under their rule. In addition, there is a lack of transparency in Taliban governance and decision-making, and the national budget released in May 2022 lacked significant detail.

The Taliban's intolerance for political opposition

The Taliban's interpretation and implementation of Sharia law has resulted in the restriction of rights for women and minority groups. Women have been banned from working in most sectors, from travelling without a male chaperone, and from accessing secondary education. The Taliban have also imposed strict dress codes for women, requiring them to wear the burqa or cover their faces in public.

The Taliban's rule has been characterised by a lack of transparency and accountability. Decision-making is highly opaque, with all power concentrated in the hands of the supreme leader and his clerical advisors, known as the Leadership. The Leadership makes all major policy decisions behind closed doors, and there is no separation of powers.

The Taliban have also been accused of economic mismanagement, with the country's economy floundering under their rule. Malnutrition and unemployment have soared, and basic services have been neglected.

The Taliban's restrictions on women's rights

Afghanistan is currently under theocratic rule, with political power concentrated in the hands of a supreme leader and his clerical advisors, collectively referred to as the Leadership. The Leadership makes all major policy decisions, which are then implemented by the country's civil service and judiciary.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, they have imposed a series of restrictions on women's rights. Here are some of the ways in which the Taliban have limited the rights of women in Afghanistan:

• Education restrictions: Girls and women have been banned from attending secondary schools and universities. This has impacted their access to education and future employment opportunities.
• Employment restrictions: Women have been banned from working in many sectors, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations. This has resulted in the closure of several aid organizations and has pushed many families deeper into poverty.
• Travel restrictions: Women are not allowed to move around in public spaces unless they are accompanied by a male relative (known as a mahram). They are only permitted to leave their homes for urgent matters and must wear full veils when outside.
• Dress code restrictions: Women are required to wear a burqa, a garment that covers the entire body. Failure to comply with this regulation can result in imprisonment for their male relatives.
• Healthcare restrictions: Women have been excluded from working in healthcare, and female patients are not allowed to be treated by male doctors. This has severely limited access to medical treatment, especially in rural areas.
• Sports and leisure restrictions: Women are no longer allowed to play sports or visit amusement parks, public baths, gyms, and sports clubs.
• Discrimination and violence: There have been reports of physical violence and beatings by the Taliban against women who do not comply with their restrictions. Women's rights activists have also reported detentions, child marriages, forced marriages, and rapes.
• Lack of protection: The Taliban have abolished the Ministry of Women's Affairs, removing a key source of support and protection for women.
• Forced and child marriages: The humanitarian crisis and economic hardship in Afghanistan have led to an increase in forced and child marriages, as families marry off their young daughters in return for a dowry or as a form of protection from the Taliban.

The Taliban's restrictions on the media

Since retaking power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have imposed a series of restrictions on the media, severely limiting freedom of expression in the country.

In the year following the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan lost 40% of its media outlets and 60% of its journalists, with an even steeper decline in female journalists. The Taliban have shut down and restricted media organisations, detained journalists, and imposed harsher restrictions on female reporters. Women have been banned from working in radio and television, and from appearing on television without their faces covered. They are also prohibited from interviewing men and vice versa. The Taliban have also banned news coverage of demonstrations and civil protests, and restricted news preparation, publication, reporting, and content production.

The Taliban have also turned social media into a powerful tool to tame opposition and broadcast their messages. They use thousands of Twitter accounts, some official and others anonymous, to placate Afghanistan's terrified but increasingly tech-savvy urban population. The Taliban project images of peace and stability that contrast sharply with the chaotic American evacuation from Kabul, or footage of protesters being beaten and shot at.

Despite the Taliban's attempts to control the media and the public narrative, Afghan social media may not be an accurate indicator of public sentiment. Many of the Taliban's critics and supporters of the US-backed government have gone underground.

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