Suhail Shaheen is one of the main faces of Taliban diplomacy. As spokesperson for the office of the Islamist movement in Qatar, he participated in the negotiations with the United States, organized in this Gulf emirate, which led to the February 2020 agreement, providing for the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. . After the capture of Kabul in mid-August, he was appointed ambassador to the United Nations, a title for the moment virtual, the UN does not recognize the new Afghan regime. In recent days, Suhail Shaheen and other Taliban leaders have held talks in Doha with American and European envoys. The world interviewed him on Tuesday, October 12, with other French-speaking media (RFI, TV5 Monde, Challenges, The Parisian and the Belgian daily Echo).
Has the latest Doha talks registered any progress?
The progress is that the two sides realized that they had to solve their problems through negotiation. Everyone understands that pressure does not work and that it is better to deal with problems around a table. Of course, you can’t fix everything in one meeting. That is why the discussions will continue.
No country has recognized your government. Do you think you will get this international recognition?
As a matter of principle, we should be recognized because we control all the provinces, the main cities, the borders and we have the support of the Afghan people. The old administration no longer has any sovereignty and does not represent anyone. Winter, which is very harsh in Afghanistan, is approaching. We urgently need to cooperate on the issue of humanitarian aid and other matters.
What rights are you prepared to grant to women?
We believe that women, as long as they wear the veil, have the right to work and education, in accordance with Islamic rules. Today, in primary and secondary education, 70% of schools are functioning [les lycées n’ont rouvert que dans quatre provinces sur trente-quatre]. And others will soon reopen. Women also have the right to do business, to choose their own husband and to inherit an inheritance. All these rights are granted to women by Islamic law [Dans les faits, un grand nombre de femmes n’ont pas été autorisées à reprendre leur travail et dénoncent leur manque de liberté].
Women journalists have received threats, one of them beaten. According to Reporters Without Borders, less than 100 are still active in Kabul, against 700 in mid-August …
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