Women’s rights activists are calling for England to hand over the championship cricket match to Afghanistan
English male cricket team are set to face Afghanistan on February 26 in the group stage of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy.
However, women’s rights activists have called on England to renounce its fame from protesting the ongoing human rights abuses in Afghanistan. The Women’s Rights Network (WRN) has spoken out statement on Tuesday, calling not only for the league game to be forfeited in February, but also for any sporting event against the Afghanistan national team.
“The Women’s Rights Network is calling on England to hand over the game. In fact, we are calling on our politicians and sports governing bodies to go further. We are calling on: [UK Prime Minister] Keir Starmer to order a boycott of all matches in Afghanistan in any sport, [England Cricket Team] surrender all matches against the Afghanistan men’s cricket team in any tournament, players and coaches to examine their consciences – the women in your families are free to dress as they wish, be educated, work, travel, have bank accounts, speak and sing. How can you in good conscience pretend to be a country that denies women their basic human rights?” the group wrote.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS REPORTS ON FOXNEWS.COM
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses members at the Labor Party conference in Liverpool, England, on Tuesday. (AP)
“Pride in the team jersey includes pride in your country’s record of standing up for human rights and against dictators who enjoy the accolades of sporting success. What is happening to women in Afghanistan is appalling. Every athlete of conscience should do the right thing: Boycott Afghanistan. “
Afghanistan has been under the control of the Taliban since August 2021, after President Biden ordered the withdrawal of the US military. The withdrawal resulted in the death of 13 members of the US armed forces and the almost immediate takeover of the capital Kabul by Taliban forces. Another 45 American soldiers were injured, and more than 170 Afghan civilians were killed.
After the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, 2021, the national economy “basically collapsed,” according to the UNDP, in large part because international funding through government donor schemes, such as the Afghanistan Reconstruction Foundation, was shut down.
The Taliban takeover resulted in particularly appalling treatment of women in the country.
According to Sharia law, women are not allowed to move in public unless accompanied by a male relative. Generally, they are only allowed to leave the house for urgent matters and must wear full veils if they do.
In August, Taliban rulers he issued a ban on women’s voices and naked faces in public under new laws approved by the supreme leader in an effort to combat vice and promote virtue.
Women are required to cover themselves in front of non-Muslim men and women to avoid corruption. A woman’s voice is considered intimate and therefore must not be heard singing, reciting or reading aloud in public. Women are forbidden to look at men with whom they are not related by blood or marriage and vice versa.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq celebrates with teammates after being dismissed during the second T20 international cricket match between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on December 13, 2024. (Jekesai NJIKZANA/AFP)
Women in Afghanistan are also banned from attending secondary school, and from 2022 they are banned from studying at all. There are some courses available to women through online classes, but female students are not allowed to take the exams.
In July, a United Nations report he said the ministry was contributing to a climate of fear and intimidation among Afghans through the decrees and the methods used to enforce them.
“Given the many issues raised in the report, the de facto authorities’ view that this surveillance will increase and expand is cause for significant concern for all Afghans, particularly women and girls,” said Fiona Frazer, Head of Human Rights. rights service at the UN mission in Afghanistan.
The Taliban rejected the UN report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports broadcast on Xand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
