No one ever wants to look like the bad guy. In Afghanistan, the Taliban rules, which means that women and young girls are living in a distopian hell, where they can’t even leave their house without a male family member having to escort them.

The Taliban’s deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said human rights were protected in Afghanistan and that nobody faces discrimination.

“Unfortunately, an attempt is being made to spread propaganda against Afghanistan through the mouths of several fugitive (Afghan) women and misrepresent the situation,” he said on social media platform X.

“It is absurd to accuse the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan of violating human rights and gender discrimination,” he added.

Yeah, it’s totally ridiculous! Sure, women are being stoned to death for adultery, but that’s in the Koran, so obviously it’s not abuse!

What I find interesting is the endless hypocrisy of religion. The Taliban loves to use the language of peace in their official responses to the media, but we know that behind closed doors, what they have to say is very different. Their contempt for women and girls has been on full display for a thousand years. We need not distrust our own instincts simply because their response to “are you abusing women?” amounts to: not according to this book written countless ages ago.