The Taliban declared on Sunday that they remain committed to peace negotiations, but that the only way to end the war and protect rights, particularly for women, was for Afghanistan to have a “genuine Islamic system.”
Since May, when the US military began its last pullout, talks between Taliban and the Afghan government have been stalemate for months, and bloodshed has risen across the country.
Fears are rising that if the Taliban retake control, they would reinstate their own interpretation of Islamic law, which prohibits girls from attending school.
Despite the increased violence, Taliban co-founder and deputy commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar declared on Sunday that the party remained dedicated to the peace talks.
“Our very participation in the negotiations… indicates openly that we believe in resolving issues through (mutual) understanding,” Baradar said in a statement.
He said the only way to end the conflict in Afghanistan was to establish an Islamic system after the departure of all foreign forces. “A genuine Islamic system is the best means for solution of all issues of the Afghans,” Baradar said.
He addressed fears in Afghanistan and abroad about the type of system that would develop — and its impact on women — in a statement that said it was “within the scope of intra-Afghan dialogue.”
According to the great religion of Islam and Afghan traditions, Baradar further pledged that the rights of all Afghans, including women, would be accommodated under that system.
However, many people are concerned that the Taliban’s understanding of rights would clash with the developments in Afghan society since 2001.
In May, a US intelligence analysis predicted that if the militants regained power, the achievements made in women’s rights over the previous two decades would be reversed.
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