The tragic events of September 11, 2001, had a wide influence on the world and caused the US to invade Afghanistan. Their main objective was to destroy terrorist groups and to engage in democratic structures of freedom in a country marked by a period of instability and repressive rulers. Nevertheless, now after two decades, the situation in Afghanistan has changed from the projected futuristic dream. Human rights infringement has continued, thus raising the issue of the initial improvement and the effect of foreign interference. The problems should be recognized, the authorities who are responsible should be punished and the necessary steps should be taken to correct the persistent injustices.
The recent history of Afghanistan has been a story of suffering and unrest. The Taliban, the militant faction that emerged in the 1990s, gained power and imposed an extremist interpretation of Islamic law by excluding women, freedom of expression, and the crime of brutality as well as others. The United States and the NATO allies launched the war in 2001, after 9/11 by the defenestration of the Taliban regime, on the condition of the establishment of a democratic government to grant rights.
During the very first years, slightly a bit of optimism was seen. The birth of a new regime and the employment of a constitution indicated the era of new liberties and rights. Nonetheless, with time passing and the war keeping up, human rights promotion and democracy became overshadowed by the truths in the wars and the problems in Afghan society.
Human Rights Violations
The country of Afghanistan may see the worst human rights degradation in the times after 9/11 while disregarding their aspirations. These transgressions have far-reaching complicity including civilian casualties, women, journalists, and minority groups.
The ongoing war has killed many people apart from the combatants. People working in aeroplanes, junk operations, and drone assaults have not been included but rather caused innocent Afghan casualties. Amnesty International and HRW are organizations among others that have contributed with their reports to evidence that the military operations (US and NATO) and also the Afghanistan security forces led to war crimes including killing of civilians and attacking non-combatants indiscriminately.
The detainees were forced into torture and the extrajudicial killings of the detainees were activities requiring the participation of both Afghan security forces and international military personnel. The use of torture during interrogations and the existence of secret detention facilities signify severe violations of human rights and international law. These practices are both individual rights assaults and structural entities that have lost their credibility.
Initially, the fall of the Taliban had some improvement in women’s rights but these achievements are near the collapse. In many regions especially rural areas, local women are still subjected to harsh restrictions on their freedom and autonomy. The Taliban’s return has worsened the gains that the country has made, not only by their brutality, for instance, forced dress codes, restrictions on education, and the absence of women in public life, but with them, cruelty is an everyday routine. Reporters in Afghanistan have encountered various difficulties in their profession. The state and the non-state actors are both a threat and a source of harassment and violence towards journalists. The restriction of free speech remains a critical problem, in addition to journalists’ persecution for factual reporting on corruption, human rights violations, and government ineffectiveness. This situation of fear has removed the spirit of argument and made the media that was the fourth piece of democracy, no mere instrument of power.
The Hazaras, Sikhs, and Shia Muslims, along with other ethnic and religious minorities, have been the victims of violent actions and systematic defamation. The disproportionate amount of deaths due to attacks on minority groups, most of the time, by extremist bands is what leads to large-scale displacement. The failure to safeguard such communities is due to the apathy and negligence of the Afghan government and the international bodies that it cooperates with. Violations of human rights in Afghanistan happen because of everyone.
The US and resistance groups like the Taliban have been the enablers of the brutalities, whereas, also participating are the Afghan government and NATO forces that have turned their forces against the ordinary people.
The US and its allies, as the main forces of the intervention, carry a big part of the responsibility for human rights in Afghanistan and therefore should be accountable for that.
In the beginning, when they came, the military justified that they needed to fight terrorism. However, it was the military activities that often caused harmful consequences such as the death of non-combatants and violation of international humanitarian law. Both with greater understanding of and more reporting on foreign forces’ actions are the hot and most current tasks of the moment. The Afghan government, despite its allegations of upholding human rights, has been often involved in human rights abuses. The very fact that Afghan security forces are corrupt, lack accountability, and violate human rights gives an impression to the public that the government should protect them.
The government, therefore, must take radical measures to reform the security system and make sure that irresponsible people are punished. The Taliban ranks first as the main actor in committing violations of human rights along with the other groups of fighters. Thus, the records of their brutality in their civilian attacks, mistreatment of women, and mass punishment of religious minorities are well chronicled. In a peace process, the accountability of such groups should be the main attention point to guarantee a fair and long-term solution to the conflict.
Consequences and Implications
The human rights abuse in Afghanistan has a huge impact on the peace and future of the country as well. The continuous disregard for human rights in the country results in the involvement in more and more violent acts and thus, the balance of the peace keeps on shifting. The absence of justice and fairness accelerates hostility and the population tends to lean towards war and conflict is the consequence. One such effect is the loss of trust of the Afghan population in both their government and the international community. This situation impedes the efforts to build a stable and democratic country, and at the same time, it weakens the ones who should serve as their guardians.
Human rights abuses are a big problem as they shake the peace and the reconciliation process. You can’t have real peace unless the dirt of the past is cleaned up and the offenders will be brought to justice. If these problems are not addressed that means the risk of the new cycle of violence and revengeing may be perpetuated.
Conclusion
The scenario in Afghanistan in the aftermath of September 11th is a clear description of the complications and unexpected consequences that influencing another country can have. Although freedom and democracy were the main aims of the implementation the fact was that the imposition of the human rights violations by the Afghan national government has been highly persistent which has injured the truth on the ground. It thoroughly examines the current challenges encountered and suggests appropriate solutions that are crucial if the region is to succeed. It is therefore necessary for Afghanistan to be united and it is relatively easy to consider the International community in relation to the U.N. and other international actors. This will involve all parties – persons and groups – to take responsibility for their actions, human rights defenders should be given the support they deserve and the rights of all Afghans should be protected, especially women and minorities. The international bodies should join in with this by creating the necessary support for human rights activists and driving the ratification of human rights codes.
To sum it up, I may say the battle for human rights in Afghanistan is not over yet. The issue needs the growth of the Afghan government, besides the support of international actors and people. We can start this journey by recognizing the past and taking the right steps towards a brighter future where all people in Afghanistan are respected and treated with human dignity. We have to be the ones who stand for justice and advocate for human rights in Afghanistan. The issue of human rights is bigger and surpasses the borders and speaks to our shared humanity.
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