Taliban seek Japan support for infrastructure, industry development

Not one yen until you return to humanity and civilized behavior. Get back to the 21st century.

Nice, more deals with murderers, criminals, rapists and all in once world terrorists.

How can a modern country even deal with that scum? Seriously.

Class room needs a repaint

Absolutely NO!

First stop your repressive policies against women.

No. Not until the Taliban adheres to basic human rights. Every dollar they don't spend on infrastructure and develepment is anothe dollar the Taliban can divert to other repressive projects.

Why show this photo? Women are currently banned from attending schools and universities in Afghanistan, making it the only country in the world to impose such restrictions on female education.

They murdered Tetsu Nakamura. They should have nothing.

paint it bloody Red

Taliban seek Japanese taxpayer handouts for infrastructure, industry development, due to incompetent, repressive, medieval oversight

First stop your repressive policies against women.

That is Pashtun culture that predates the Taliban by hundreds of years. All cultures are equal and respected aren't they? If we are going to cut off contact with countries with repressive policies against women, where do we draw the line? Saudi Arabia? Yemen? Iran? All Islamic countries? Japan?

They won the war, so we should accept them as the leaders of the country and return to business as usual. They are popular in Afghanistan, and this is what the people of the country want.

Give them nothing.

The Taliban bans ALL girls over 12 from attending school. Girls and women are banned from playing in ALL sporting teams. Females are second, maybe third class citizens- they are essentially on the level of dogs.

The Taliban scum should never have even been permitted into Japan in the first place. They despise girls and women - which is why the free world despises them.

What does Japan or any other nation in the world need from Afghanistan trade wise? What’s in it for us?

Any future ‘aid’ should be conditional on that regime taking steps to improve the lives of its citizens, especially women.

I would say give them nothing.

no respect for human rights and women.

as simple as is.

For once, I expected to be in FULL AGREEMENT with everyone’s comment this morning, I was wrong

Japan are an easy target for the Taliban to try and milk money from. Ranked at the very bottom of this years World Happiness rankings, the worst of the worst, their medieval Islamic ways offer little hope for anyone stuck there. As with dystopian North Korea, it’s like another universe. Corruption is like a cancer and forget about getting the poor lasses back to a position where they are anything more than chattels again. Little boys without parents also suffer a very dark fate.

Lovely stuff isn’t it? I guess any volunteers going into to try and help with the situation on the ground deserve our support and compassion, but the obstacles are almost insurmountable. If it were done it would have to be done well, not just writing cheques that’s for sure.

The picture used to illustrate the article is probably not what readers have in mind when talking about this regime. Who wants to see his taxes helping the retards in charge there ?

When will JT STOP calling Afghanistan, Taliban !??

The nation of Afghanistan is what it is NOT Taliban!!?

We don't call China Communists or USA Republicans, or Japan LDP's !!?

Helping nations in need is a geopolitical matter, Japan will decide what is in the best interest of it's people and proceed.

Not my money but I would strongly recommend not a penny be wasted on these backward, misogynistic, dark age, savages.

Paint it RED

Nazari insisted that the regime's intention is "not to completely exclude women from social participation."

So, not "completely" exclude women: just "mostly." How kind.

When "seeking support," the Taliban should be aware that its brutal policies -- toward women, and in other areas -- will directly affect what it can receive.

Nippon Foundation is a private entity so decides its own direction, but JICA uses Japanese tax-payer money and therefore has set policies on its operations. The Taliban's brutality is in opposition to many of these, with Gender Equality being the obvious one:

https://www.jica.go.jp/Resource/english/our_work/thematic_issues/gender/dbil86000000vo39-att/agenda_03.pdf

"Taliban seek Japan support for infrastructure, industry development"

Regardless, but what does Japan get out of it?

So we refuse aid to Afghanistan because they do not give equal rights to women?

Then we should also refuse aid to ALL Islamic countries. Some worse than others but none regard women as equal. Bit of a hot chestnut that one for the idealistic left.

Nazari also said the Taliban regime wants to build amicable relations with major powers, suggesting it is time for the United States to "move forward" and end a freeze on Afghanistan's foreign assets,

Or maybe it is time for every nation to invade them and erase the Taliban from the face of Earth.

But sadly it didn't work the first time.

People writing here seem to have forgotten, or unaware of the fact, that the rise of the Taliban was a direct result of the policies of the Carter administration in 1978

Sorry I forgot the link https://progressive.org/op-eds/we-cant-forget-jimmy-carters-legacy-afghanistan-230315/

Hello Kitty 321Today 11:23 am JST

People writing here seem to have forgotten, or unaware of the fact, that the rise of the Taliban was a direct result of the policies of the Carter administration in 1978

People probably never mentioned Carter as he has nothing to do with the content of the article.

No music!

No kite flying!

No other religion than Islam!!

No education for females!

No control of class A drugs!

So, let there be support for the Taliban?

What?

In that case, they should’ve thought twice before murdering Dr. Nakamura.

the rise of the Taliban was a direct result of the policies of the Carter administration in 1978

No it wasn't. It was more directly due to the activities of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, who conducted guerilla training and fomented radical Islamic ideology among the Afghans. Americans came a bit late to the game and approved funding of basic weapons like rifles and grenades when Carter was in office. Reagan stepped in by approving the supply or Stinger missile launchers. Not a bad thing, though, since it led to the collapose of the Soviet Union (sorry, Putin), thus ending the Cold War.

No problem if they seek support, that is their right. But it is a problem if they really should get that support and then of course this support fortifies their inhumane and unbearable terror regime.

I think it is up to Japanese government to decide if helping Afghanistan is good for their national interest. And that is what usually drive decisions. Not moral grounds.

I don't have slightest positive regard for Taliban by any means. But we all know, the western troops in Afghanistan were way more inhumane to ordinary Afghans than Taliban. Remember the news on random act of killing by Aussies.

So my message, don't take the action of a military group to judge an entire population. If we do so, then Americans, Aussies or Brits are way lower in rankings in that regard. Remember Japan also participated in military operation against Iraq that was based on lies.

I hope Japan is a rare country who helps countries in poverty with few rewards.

But I remember Tetsu Nakamura, who contributed much for Afghanistan people. I cannot forget it is suspected that he was killed by someone related to Taliban.

If Japan doesn't move in, then the chinazis will. They will take advantage of this situation.

The Taliban regime hopes to strengthen relations with Japan to obtain support for Afghanistan's infrastructure and industry development,

The vast majority of women are confined to home and only allowed out under a males supervision. No secondary education for girls let alone university level. Women forced to cover themselves completely from head to toe including hiding their face and eyes.

Any developments are for men to enjoy. Industry means jobs for men not women, infrastructure like a sports stadium where men play sports but not women?

Do not support such a repressive culture until it changes to allow identical freedoms for women and girls, to what boys and men enjoy. Until they do, give them NOTHING!

Doing any business with the Taliban is supporting their distorted views on religion and suppression of women's rights, and simply extending the length of time this will go on in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has imposed numerous prohibitions on girls and women in Afghanistan since their return to power in August 2021. These restrictions have systematically curtailed their rights and freedoms, affecting nearly every aspect of their lives.

Girls' Secondary Education: Girls are banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade (age 12). This restriction has been in place since March 2022, effectively barring them from secondary education.

Higher Education: Women are prohibited from attending universities, a ban that began in December 2022. They are also barred from taking university entrance exams, further limiting their access to higher education.

Co-Education: Co-education is forbidden, with strict gender segregation enforced in educational settings where it is still permitted (e.g., primary schools).

Public Sector Jobs: Women are largely banned from working in government roles, except in limited sectors like healthcare and primary education, where they are deemed irreplaceable by men.

NGOs and International Organizations: Women are prohibited from working for national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) since December 2022, a restriction extended to UN employment in April 2023.

Private Sector: Many women have been dismissed from high-level positions, and women-owned businesses, such as beauty salons, were ordered to shut down by July 2023, affecting tens of thousands of livelihoods.

Women’s Empowerment Projects: Women are barred from working on projects aimed at their own empowerment.

Public Life and Freedom of Movement

Dress Code: Women must fully cover their bodies, including their faces, in public with a burqa or similar garment. The "Morality Law" enacted in August 2024 mandates this, deeming non-compliance a moral violation.

Male Guardian (Mahram) Requirement: Women cannot travel more than 72-77 kilometers (approximately 45 miles) without a male relative (mahram). In some areas, this applies to shorter distances, and they face harassment at checkpoints if unaccompanied.

Public Speaking and Voice: Women are forbidden from speaking, singing, or reading aloud in public, even from within their homes if it can be heard outside, under the August 2024 "vice and virtue" laws.

Public Spaces: Women and girls are banned from accessing public parks, amusement parks, gyms, sports clubs, public baths, and historic sites. They are also restricted from restaurants in some provinces unless accompanied by a mahram.

Beauty Salons: Closed since July 2023, eliminating a key source of income and social interaction for women.

Sports: Women are prohibited from participating in any sports or entering sports facilities.

Media Presence: Female TV presenters must cover their faces, and women are banned from radio programs with male presenters. Photography or filming of women is restricted under morality laws.

Protests: Women are barred from participating in protests or using unapproved slogans, with violators facing arrest, detention, or worse.

Healthcare Access: Women cannot be treated by male doctors without a mahram present, and in some provinces, they are denied access to health facilities without a male guardian.

Contraceptives: While not officially banned, women have been arrested for purchasing contraceptives, indicating informal restrictions.

Marriage and Family: Forced and child marriages have surged, with the Taliban dissolving support systems for survivors of gender-based violence, leaving women reliant on their interpretation of Sharia law.

Enforcement: The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice enforces these rules through checkpoints, inspections, and "moral inspectors" with discretionary powers to detain and punish.

Penalties: Violations can lead to arbitrary detention, flogging, stoning, or other forms of public punishment. Male guardians may also be punished for women’s non-compliance.

These prohibitions reflect the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law and local customs, which they claim justifies their policies. However, they have drawn widespread international criticism, with human rights groups and the UN labeling them as gender apartheid and potential crimes against humanity. The restrictions continue to evolve, with enforcement varying by region but consistently tightening over time.

We shouldn't be supporting that.

BigP - I take it you’re referring to the Taliban? It’s not entirely clear

"not to completely exclude women from social participation."

Sure, it's well documented, everybody knows that even 13 year girls are included on the 'social participation' by marrying 80 year old tribal leaders, you cannot ask for more 'social participation' then that!

"Women are working in places such as the Ministry of Education, airport, and even the police,"

We know, it's just that you cannot see them because they are on the kitchen making sandwiches for all the males that work there.

Afghanistan is for Afghanis, their Nation their way of life should be decided by them not outsiders regurgitating what they heard from other sources. And yes things can be improved in Afghanistan, Sudan, Congo among other ailing places. After all it all depends with the Japanese government willingness to help them out and even better if Japanese Construction Companies do the job. That's a win win situation.

Afghanistan is for Afghanis, their Nation their way of life should be decided by them not outsiders regurgitating what they heard from other sources.

Japans money is for Japan to decide how to use and whom to help. If they choose not to support a repressive regime that is their absolute right, same with all nations.

The trouble is the Taliban are a minority with more arms and soldiers than anyone else. So a minority are already ruling Afghanistan. Not what over 50% of their people want.

"The trouble is the Taliban are a minority with more arms and soldiers than anyone else. So a minority are already ruling Afghanistan. Not what over 50% of their people want."

The problem is is to know what over 50% of their people want without doing cultural blind assumptions.

The Taliban are just following the Islam. Everything they do is justified by their faith. Aren't all faiths to be respected? Come on liberals, you can't be pro women's rights in Afghanistan without being anti Islam. They go hand in hand.

The Taliban have been following an Islamic variation that is particularly anti-women. Hopefully they are evolving away from that.

It seemed a terrible shame that the US and NATO invaded Afghanistan. They were willing to arrest Al Qaeda and try them, but they were not willing to give them to outsiders to be tried. Even after we invaded, we should have just eliminated Al Qaeda, and then evacuated our troops. The whole thing was a terrible mess.

That photo is a misleading representation. Currently females are banned from attending any kind of schools in "Talibanistan"

"Taliban seek Japan support for infrastructure, industry development."

Good for Afghanistan and Japan, hopefully rare minerals are available in the vast land of Afghanis. Those whining please remember God created everyone equal. The rights are God given only that men/ women became selfish.

The problem is is to know what over 50% of their people want without doing cultural blind assumptions.

With over 50% of the population being women, there is no assumption that they want better treatment, freedom to do as they like, study what they like and not to have to be covered from head to toe. Like the freedoms they had before the Taliban came to power again. Add to them the men who disagree with the Taliban, from warlords to average men around the nation.

Your not sure what the majority want? They want the Taliban out and their old freedoms back. Any support for the Taliban is supporting the extended period women and others are denied basic human rights.

Most but not all Afghan men believe men are superior and can "own" women. Add those who dont believe that to all the women in the nation and you have a majority and well over 50% and likely over 60%.