‘Two-faced’: UN official calls for recognition of Taliban, tweets post defending women’s rights

“You can’t be working on women’s rights in Afghanistan while lobbying for recognition of the same group who have banned women and girls from education, work and social gatherings,” an Afghan national said.

By World Israel News Staff

A senior United Nations official was slammed for a feminist tweet just days after she expressed support for formal recognition of the Taliban terror group, which is currently governing Afghanistan.

Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, took to Twitter to express concern for women who are unable to publicly celebrate the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan.

“My heart is with all women and girls who are not able [to] practice their faith with their communities during Eid and every day,” Mohammed wrote.

“Our solidarity is unwavering, as we work together to ensure women and girls’ rights in Afghanistan.”

My heart is with all women and girls who are not able practice their faith with their communities during Eid and every day.

Our solidarity is unwavering, as we work together to ensure women and girls’ rights in Afghanistan 🤲🏽☪️

— Amina J Mohammed (@AminaJMohammed) April 22, 2023

Absent from Mohammed’s tweet was any mention of the reality that the Taliban has increasingly cracked down on the presence of women in public spaces, which is likely the reason why females are unable to practice their faith in the country.

Because Mohammed’s ostensibly pro-women comments came less than a week after she called for the UN and international community to offer official recognition to the Taliban, including maintaining diplomatic relations, she was immediately called out for hypocrisy.

“You just called for official recognition of the Taliban, at Princeton University only five days ago, so isn’t it a bit rich for you to be speaking out now for Afghan women’s rights?” replied Hillel Neuer, human rights attorney and CEO of the NGO UN Watch.

Neuer wasn’t the only prominent figure to take umbrage with Mohammed’s remarks.

“Oh come on, Afghanistan women don’t want your empathy, they just want you to not whitewash terrorists and stop lobbying for them,” wrote Natiq Malikzada,a journalist and Afghan national.

Wazhma Sayel, an academic from Afghanistan now living in Nigeria, asked if Mohammed’s “heart also goes out to the religious minorities in Afghanistan.”

Sayel noted that Afghan Sikhs, Shia, Hindus, and Christians have “no room in the book of the Taliban” and can no longer “celebrate rituals” and holidays “as they used to” before the Taliban takeover.

“You are two-faced,” responded Adam Khan, an Afghan national who appears to still be living in the country. “You can’t be working on women’s rights in Afghanistan while lobbying for recognition of the same group who have banned women and girls from education, work and social gatherings.”

AfghanistanRadical IslamTalibanUnited NationsWomen's rights