Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Letty Phillips

The Islamic Emirate and the (Other) Authoritarians: Afghanistan-Central Asian relations since 2021

Letty Phillips •

Since the Taliban’s return to power, they have invested heavily in building diplomatic relationships with the five states of Central Asia — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Under Republic-era governments, Central Asian governments – avowedly secular in outlook since they became independent nations – frequently sounded warnings over the threat that Islamic extremism posed […]

Regional Relations Read more

“The Doors to Separation Are Closed for Women”: Women and divorce under the Emirate

Letty Phillips • Rama Mirzada •

For Afghan women, getting a divorce has always been difficult, but since the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate, it has become almost impossible. Under the new authorities, sharia – specifically Sunni Hanafi jurisprudence – is the only law that applies and many of the legal provisions that allowed women to divorce no longer exist. AAN’s […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

Shaking the Sky: Women’s attempts to claim their inheritance rights under the Emirate

Letty Phillips • Rama Mirzada •

Few aspects of Islamic Emirate rule in Afghanistan have received as much criticism as the sweeping restrictions on the lives of women and girls. Yet in response to this condemnation, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) claims that it has actually improved women’s lives by enforcing women’s rights guaranteed by sharia. These include a woman’s […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

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