News:

On 20th October a leading Pakistani newspaper, The News, published a story regarding the year 2014. According to the article, that year will have special significance for women in Afghanistan as withdrawal of foreign troops and the future set-up in the country would determine whether they would continue to be empowered or will have their rights snatched away. In its latest report, "Women and Conflict in Afghanistan", the International Crisis Group (ICG) examined the status of women in present-day Afghanistan. Samina Ahmed, ICG's South Asia Project Director and Senior Adviser stated, "...a sell-out of their rights, whether during the negotiations with the Taliban or internal politicking, would undermine prospects for a stable, inclusive, democratic transition".

Comment:

The Western narrative about women's rights keeps on presenting the man made liberal democratic and capitalist system as the biggest champion of women rights. This whole story about Western occupied forces leaving to a limited extent in 2014 continues to propagate the lie that Afghanistan's women have been empowered and given rights under the occupied NATO and American forces and their Western secular system which face the danger of being snatched away following withdrawal of these forces. The truth is that women under this occupation and the Liberal Democratic system face the worst possible circumstances as they suffer death, harassment, rape, torture and poverty. Firstly, these forces that Western governments and liberal media claim to have brought these women's rights are the same forces that have caused immense slaughter and destruction during the past 12 years in this War in Afghanistan, including the deaths of thousands of Afghan civilians - men, women, and children - both from direct military strikes as well as indirectly as a consequence of displacement, starvation, disease, exposure, lack of medical treatment, and crime resulting from the war. Secondly, the Liberal, Democratic Capitalist system that they have implemented in Afghanistan has failed to protect women from crime and economic hardships. Approximately 36% of the Afghan population lives below the poverty line which makes Afghanistan the second poorest country in Asia. The country has the second highest maternal mortality and child mortality rate in the world and more than half of children under the age of 5 are malnourished. According to the UN, only 23% of people have access to safe drinking water and only 24% above the age of 15 can read and write (with only 14% female literacy rate). Women are raped and killed due to the lawlessness in the country as well as by the US trained militias named Afghan Local Police and no one dares to rescue them, nor can they find justice under the corrupt judicial system where perpetrators of crimes are often given immunity due to family or political influence on the police or judges. This is the situation of Women's rights under the US controlled, war torn and Secular Liberal Afghanistan. The situation of women in neighbouring Pakistan and India is not much different, which although are not under direct occupation, implement the same flawed and corrupt Liberal Democratic Systems promoted by the West which have failed to secure basic rights for women and under which the principle of freedom that allows man to fulfil his desires and instincts with limited restrictions is promoted, thereby causing rape and torture.

Accordingly, the only system that guarantees women's rights is the system given to us by Allah (swt) as He rather than the human being possesses All-Knowledge regarding His creation. The Divine Laws, including the provision of basic necessities to every citizen, women and children, rights of political participation, right to vote in the election of the Khalifah and Majlis al Ummah, right to speedy and fair justice and education, employment and many more protections, especially the obligation to safeguard her dignity and ensure her safety are given to women by Allah (swt). Women were protected, taken care of and given all the rights prescribed by Allah (swt) during the glorious period of the Khilafah "Caliphate" Rashida and even after that due to the complete and comprehensive implementation of Islam, until the destruction of the Khilafah "Caliphate" in 1924. It is therefore only through the re-establishment of Khilafah "Caliphate" with urgency by giving the Nussrah to Hizb ut Tahrir that is spearheading this work under the leadership of its Amir, the eminent scholar and statesman Ata Bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, that women in Afghanistan and across the Muslim world will again be afforded the God-given rights and protection that they deserve and that Islam obliges.

((وَلَوِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلۡحَقُّ أَهۡوَآءَهُمۡ لَفَسَدَتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ‌ۚ بَلۡ أَتَيۡنَـٰهُم بِذِڪۡرِهِمۡ فَهُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِهِم مُّعۡرِضُونَ))
"If the truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the earth and all beings therein would have been in confusion and corruption! Nay we have sent them their admonition but they turn away from their admonition."

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Umm Musab
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir