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Reacting to the Taliban's burqa imposition on Afghan women, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda, Thomas-Greenfield, said "what they did today is unconscionable."
She said that the Taliban will be judged by their actions "not their words," reported Tolo News. The Taliban on Saturday announced new rules regarding women's covering or hijab, saying it will be implemented in two steps -- encouragement and punishment - and defining the types of dress that women will need to wear when stepping out of the home. "It shows again what the Taliban are capable of. We said from day one. We will judge them by their actions, not their words. And these actions on Mother's Day, I think, send a very chilling message across the world. We have done everything possible to support Afghan women and will continue to call out the Taliban for their actions, both in the United States but also in my role in the Security Council as president of the Security Council. What they did today is unconscionable, and I am sure that we can expect more from them and it just redoubles our commitment to supporting Afghan women," said the US envoy. Meanwhile, US special envoy Thomas West tweeted he was 'deeply concerned' over the recent decision on women's hijab saying this combined with the girls' school ban, "restrictions on freedom of movement," and "targeting" of protesters is an "affront" to human rights and would negatively impact relations with the international community, reported Tolo News. Earlier, the European Union Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, said on Twitter that in his meeting with the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, he "first of all raised the importance of opening secondary schools for girls, the EU's concern about Taliban imposed face-covering veils for women, and the Taliban's suggestion that the best place for women is at home, although domestic violence is rising." (ANI)
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