Afghan women ministers wanted Canada’s help in June as Taliban advanced: senator
Global News
In June, female Afghan ministers begged Canada to ``do something for us'' as the Taliban advanced, says a Canadian senator who was part of a videoconference then.
Afghan women ministers made pleas to Canadian politicians for help _ and shared warnings about atrocities and the erosion of women’s rights _ two months before the Taliban took control of Kabul.
In June, female Afghan ministers begged Canada to “do something for us” as the Taliban advanced, says a Canadian senator who took part in a videoconference between Canadian and Afghan politicians.
The desperate request was made during a Zoom meeting of the Canada-Afghanistan Parliamentary Friendship Group, attended by Canadian ministers, MPs and senators.
In July, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Canada briefed the group about brutalities, including targeted killings and moves to oppress women, as the Taliban took over more of the country.
Ambassador Hassan Soroosh gave a graphic account of the Taliban as it advanced, killing women and clerics who did not agree with their interpretation of Islam, said Sen. Salma Ataullahjan, co-chair of the parliamentary friendship group.
Ataullahjan said Soroosh also told of how the Taliban issued statements ordering local religious leaders to draw up lists of unmarried girls over the age of 15 and widows under 45, so they could be wed to Taliban leaders.
Ataullahjan, who attended both meetings, described how Afghan female ministers “kept telling us: `do something for us.”’
She said the June meeting _ where Canadian cabinet ministers were present _ rang alarm bells, and she argued that Canada should have acted sooner to evacuate vulnerable Afghans.