International

Report: Biden admin allows U.S. embassies to fly the Black Lives Matter flag worldwide

Published

2 years ago

May 26, 2021

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has given U.S. embassies all over the world the green light to fly the Black Lives Matter flag. This comes from an internet cable retrieved and reported by “Foreign Policy” Tuesday. Blinken is currently on a visit to the Middle East.

Embassies in Spain, Greece, Cambodia started waving banners and flags already.

US embassies in Spain, Greece, Cambodia and more flying BLM flags today pic.twitter.com/3vndqBYZtN
— Handbrake Poso (@JackPosobiec) May 25, 2021

Secretary Blinken has yet to provide a comment behind the new policy yet. But, some are pointing out that this could be tantamount to endorsing a non-governmental organization.

Displaying a private NGO’s flag like the BLM logo on US embassies is unprecedented.

It violates the Hatch Act, endorses one NGO over another and undermines American security by endorsing calls for defunding the police.

Don’t be outraged later when other presidents do it too.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) May 26, 2021

Read the full article here.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.

International

Mental health crisis spikes among Afghan women after Taliban regained control two years ago

Published

2 days ago

September 21, 2023

Sara Carter Staff

The women of Afghanistan are suffering a mental health crisis since the Taliban regained power two years ago. According to a joint report from three U.N. agencies released Tuesday, approximately 70% of women experience feelings of anxiety, isolation and depression.

The numbers continue to rise, as there has already been a significant jump between April and June of this year alone, with an increase from 57% the preceding quarter.

The report, conducted by U.N. Women, the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, interviewed women online, in-person and in group consultations as well as individual telesurveys.

592 Afghan women in 22 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces took part in the study. The Associated Press reports:

They have barred women from most areas of public life and work and banned girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade. They have prohibited Afghan women from working at local and non-governmental organizations. The ban was extended to employees of the United Nations in April.

Opportunities to study continued to shrink as community-based education by international organizations was banned and home-based schooling initiatives were regularly shut down by the de facto authorities — a term use by the U.N. for the Taliban government.

Afghanistan is the only country in the world with restrictions on female education and the rights of Afghan women and children are on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The report also served as a vessel for Afghan women to send a message to the rest of the world: do not validate the Taliban government. Forty-six percent of women said international recognition of the Taliban government should not happen under any circumstances, while 50% warned that recognition should only occur under specific conditions contingent on improving women’s rights.

The report notes that the women expressed concern that recognition would only encourage the Taliban government to continue becoming stricter in their policies and practices against women and girls.

Afghan women had specific ideas and suggestions: they “urged the international community to continue political and economic sanctions against the Taliban, including by not granting exemptions to a travel ban. They urged an increase in engagement with the Taliban on gender equality and women’s rights, including by engaging community and religious leaders in awareness and advocacy efforts” writes the Associated Press.