‘Afghanistan plunging into severe economic crisis, help us with humanitarian aids’, says rights activist Crystal Bayat

Crystal Bayat, an Afghan woman who is leading a daring protest against Taliban, has said all rights activists including women are facing “serious threats” from Taliban, and appealed to the governments and people across the globe to come out in support and ensure their safety.

She also appealed to the international community and organisations to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan, saying the country has plunged into “a severe economic crisis” after Taliban fighters took over the control of the country capturing Its capital Kabul on August 15.

Bayat said that since Taliban took over the  control of Afghanistan capturing most of its regions, not just women but Afghan men are also suffering in the country.

“Besides a war, there is economic crisis in the country. There is no food. People are finding it difficult to fulfil their basic needs. We need help,” she told India Today news channel on Saturday.

Bayat said Taliban fighters have threated her of dire consequences if she does not stop organising protests against them.
“They told me that I will have to keep quite for my safety,” she said.

The rights activist said that in her response, she told Taliban fighters that people of Afghanistan have changed over the past 20 years and that it was time for them (Taliban) to change.
“We have made lot of sacrifices for last two decades. At any cost, we are not going back,” she asserted.

Bayat asked Taliban to stop targeting women, killing people and looting their properties in Afghanistan.
“Women of Afghanistan are more empowered today than those of 1997,” she said, giving a call to Afghan women to rise in numbers against Taliban for peace and property of the country.