Pride in Law has joined the international legal community in expressing grave concern regarding the fall of Afghanistan’s Government to the Taliban.
In a statement released last week, Pride in Law says it is deeply concerned about the unfolding situation in Afghanistan, in particular, the threat to fundamental individual human rights posed by the resurgence of Taliban control. It says that the expected re-imposition of a fundamentalist interpretation of Sharia law across Afghanistan will undo much of the human rights advances made since 2001 and have potentially devastating consequences for Afghan women and girls, as well as the LGBTIQ+ community, and other ethnic and religious minorities.
Under the Taliban’s fundamentalist interpretation of Sharia law, both men and women from the LGBTIQ+ community face persecution and severe penalties if they are found to have engaged in same-sex sexual activity, including the death penalty. The Taliban’s recent comments suggesting that people from the rainbow community will face death by stoning or crushing under Taliban rule are particularly distressing.
Pride in Law calls for both the transitional and permanent Afghan Government to protect the fundamental individual human rights of all Afghans, including the LGBTIQ+ community, women and girls, and other at-risk groups.
It has also called on the Australian Government to adhere to its international human rights obligations in offering protection visas to those Afghans in fear of death or persecution. It is imperative the Australian Government continue in its efforts to support at-risk people that remain in Afghanistan, including providing to individuals and organisations to help LGBTIQ+ displaced persons to reach safety.
One Response
No matter what we believe to be human rights we should never invade other countries in the guise of improving human rights of the foreign citizens. The citizens have the power to bring about the change if they consider abuse of human rights. Human rights are abused and trashed in most parts of the world and whilst we have the right to make judgements and calls for reforms we do not have nor should we consider invading another country to improve that country’s human rights because history has shown that invasion and occupation creates, breeds and exacerbates human rights of citizens of that country.