The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
AFGHAN nationals now based in Ireland all came together in Dublin for a protest against the Taliban on Sunday.
Among the protestors was Sayed Farid Sanai, the former TV news anchor who had to flee his home country and who is now based in Ennis.
He was pleased with the protest and said that there had been a strong turnout from citizens of Afghanistan who are now based in Ireland. “It was a good protest, a lot of Afghan citizens came from different parts of Ireland, from Cork, from Limerick, from Waterford, from Galway, different parts of Ireland, Afghan people who’ve moved here from 2000 to now. They came to protest and they said that in the time they’ve been living in Ireland there’s never been this type of protest.”
One of the major focuses of the protest was on the denial of women’s rights by the Taliban. “The main message of it was about women’s rights, that the Taliban should accept and respect women’s rights and they be allowed to work in different organisations in equality.”
Farid also said the protestors were urging Ireland to take a firm stance against the Taliban’s claims to be the legitimate government of Afghanistan. “Another thing was that the Afghan citizens asked that the Irish Government not recognise the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. They came by force and they have damaged everything. Also we asked the Irish Government to raise the problem at the UN, say there that they don’t accept the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.”
Another focus of the protestors was the role of Pakistan, and in a letter circulated afterwards, the protestors criticised its role in the region. “We also condemn the Pakistan army and its intelligence agency ISI’s undeniable support to the Taliban. Taliban, with the help of the Pakistan army, Qatar, and other foreign terrorist proxies are commiting genocide in Panjshir valley. The international community must intervene to stop this heinous massacre now.
“Ever since the 1970s Pakistan has played a destructive role in instigating ethnic division in Afghanistan and always backed pro Islamic Pashtun groups like the Taliban to be in power. Pakistan sees a united, strong Afghanistan as a threat.”
Owen Ryan
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked for a number of other regional titles in Limerick, Galway and Cork.
