In its first press conference after reclaiming Afghanistan, one of the Taliban's spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the militant outfit would respect women's rights and would not exact revenge.
Mujahid claims that the Taliban's efforts to convince the world that it has changed from the group that imposed a brutal and horrific rule during the 90s.
As reported by Associated Press, "Mujahid promised the Taliban would honor women's rights but within the norms of Islamic law. He said the group wanted private media to remain independent, but stressed journalists should not work against national values."
And he promised the insurgents would secure Afghanistan — but seek no revenge against those who worked with the former government or with foreign governments or forces.
"We want to assure the security of international embassies and organisations in Kabul. Our plan was to stop at the gates of Kabul after capturing the rest of the areas but, unfortunately, the previous government was incompetent. They could not provide security. We will provide security to all foreign organisations now. We don't seek any enemies. inside or outside Afghanistan," Zabihullah Mujahid said.
"We assure you that nobody will go to their doors to ask why they helped," he said.
Earlier today, Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban's cultural commission, promised amnesty and encouraged women to join the government, as opposed to their ultra-conservative Islamic views which included severe restrictions on women as well as public stonings and amputations before they were ousted by the U.S-led invasion following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Samangani addressed the concerns of women, saying they were "the main victims of the more than 40 years of crisis in Afghanistan."
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is ready to provide women with the environment to work and study, and the presence of women in different (government) structures according to Islamic law and in accordance with our cultural values," he said.
That would be a marked departure from the last time the Taliban was in power, when women were largely confined to their homes. Samangani didn't describe exactly what he meant by Islamic law, implying people already knew the rules, the report added.
