Afghan activist: US lost interest in Afghanistan, human rights ignored

Fariba Quraishi, a former Afghan Supreme Court judge now living in exile in Spain, has voiced strong criticism of the United States' engagement with her homeland. She argues that the U.S. has lost its geopolitical interest in Afghanistan and, consequently, its concern for human rights within the country.

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Here I am the owner of my own life, but the women of my country, Afghanistan, are imprisoned in their own homes. They have arrested many for simply going out to talk between them.

Quraishi believes the U.S. extracted what it needed from Afghanistan, using it as a "bridge" to exert control over the Middle East. Now, with agreements in place with other nations, she contends that the U.S. can derive greater benefits from these alternative relationships.

Speaking on Refugee Day at a Madrid rally aimed at raising awareness about the lack of freedoms under the Taliban regime and the specific "apartheid" faced by Afghan women, Quraishi shared her personal experience of freedom in exile contrasted with the confinement of women in Afghanistan. "Here I am the owner of my own life, but the women of my country, Afghanistan, are imprisoned in their own homes," she stated, recounting instances of women being arrested simply for speaking to each other.

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We cannot accept agreements with the Taliban government, we know that within the country we can do nothing, but outside of Afghanistan, the international community, the United Nations can be our voice - and they can change this situation, be on the correct side of history, on the side of Afghan women.

She implored the international community and the United Nations to act as a voice for Afghans, especially women, and to stand on the "correct side of history." Quraishi expressed concern that Afghanistan is gradually being forgotten, noting its absence from international agendas despite 23 million people suffering from poverty. "For five years we have shouted everywhere, but no one listens to us," she lamented.

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Afghanistan does not exist on 'any agenda' in the international community, although there are 23 million people 'dying of poverty.'

Another participant echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the need for solidarity rather than mere understanding. "We want to be the voice of millions of women who want freedom of expression and to work. We do not need understanding, but solidarity and for the international community not to look the other way," she said. Protest signs highlighted demands for justice, dignity, equality, and freedom, with one specifically calling on the European Union not to legitimize the Taliban regime, which it described as responding with bullets and not being a partner for peace. Protection for the Hazara minority was also called for.

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For five years we have shouted everywhere, but no one listens to us.