38. most of the religions of the world have been impartial to women  

Despite its strategic location and rich mineral deposits, Afghanistan is a cursed place. As it sits where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, it is prone to powerful earthquakes. 

Memories of the October 2023 earthquake, occurred in the province of Herat, are still fresh which resulted in more than 2,000 deaths.

In June 2022 also earthquake struck the provinces of Paktika, and Nangarhar, killing about 1,000 people.

I also remember the 1998 earthquake when the death toll had crossed 5000 which was considered to be one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit the country in decades. 

Now last week again a major earthquake killed more than 2205 (the official number). However, this death toll is not final as rescue operation is still underway. 

As it happened around midnight when people were asleep, the intensity of tragedy is enormous. Entire villages are wiped out and number of people are still trapped under rubble.

The World Health Organization has released a figure on September 3, which said at least 6,700 homes have been destroyed and according to aid agencies, around 84,000 people have been affected so far.

Kunar province is the most affected area, where most people live in wood and mud-brick houses. The rocks came down from the mountain and there was no time for the residents to leave their homes.

In fact, three major quakes hit the country in the last week itself, which caused panic and interrupted rescue efforts. Since all major roads are cut off by rockfall the death toll could rise steeply. 

Rescue operatives are trying their best to reach villages. Bodies of injured and dead continued to be pulled from debris. 

So far, I have not heard that the world community has come forward to help the country. And the reasons are well-known.

Yes, there seems to be a complete lack of international aid funding. Already the withdrawal of USAID funding, after cuts by the Trump administration earlier this year, has resulted in the closure of many hospitals and medical clinics. 

U.S., the self-declared lord of the world, has only responded via Twitter sending deep condolences. 

Taliban, the Islamist movement which regained power in 2021, have been imposing hardline religious laws, and destroying the nation whatever was left. In fact, nothing was left except the helpless people.

Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is governed by special Islamic rules, in which strict cultural and religious norms, permit only a woman’s close male relative, her father, brother, husband or son, to touch her and similarly, women are prohibited from touching men outside their family. 

This inhuman restriction is making it difficult for NGOs and aid groups to function. This imposed gender restrictions are compounding the tragedy for Afghan women. 

Women trapped under debris are sometimes left behind, due to this no skin contact with unrelated males rule. Either women are the last to be rescued, or not rescued at all. If no male relative was present, the dead were dragged out by their clothes to avoid physical contact.

So, it is a common sight, that women trapped under rubble are left waiting. Male rescue workers are hesitating to touch them, fearing the cultural consequences. In some cases, female victims remained buried until women from neighbouring areas arrived to help. 

And the injured women are also suffering as they are not allowed to be treated by male doctors and female healthcare providers are few and far between, especially since the Taliban suspended education for women in December 2024. 

As long as this Taliban regime is in power, women and girls will continue to suffer. This administration has confined women to their homes and stripped them of social and legal protections. Somehow their human rights must be restored. 

Taliban is a bad idea and it has been the number one culprit why Islam is not looked in a clean mirror all over the world.

Afghanistan has struggled to achieve lasting peace and prosperity, which is the birthright of its people. In the present situation Afghan women should stop being child producing machines and the world community also must come forward to dismantle the present ruling class by hook or by crook. 

My personal belief is that most of the religions of the world have been impartial to women. 

I’m not sure how many people will agree.