Today, on World Human Rights Day, journalist and women’s rights activist Malala Maiwand was assassinated on her way to work in Jalalabad city in Afghanistan. Malala worked at a private tv and radio network and her driver, Tahir, was assassinated in the attack as well.
In addition to her full-time journalism job, Malala worked on promoting women’s rights too. She worked on women’s access to education, employment and information. Her mother, a local leader, was assassinated 12 years ago. This report, Forgotten Heroes, highlighting some of the assassinations of activist and leader women, including Malala’s mother, Belqis Mazlomyar, quoted Malala for following in the footsteps of her mother to continuing her legacy of activism. As the eldest child of her late mother, Malala was left to raise her four siblings, all of whom she made sure were educated. Her father was assassinated by the Taliban too. No one has claimed responsibility for her assassination yet.
Since the beginning of the so-called Inter-Afghan peace talks, targeted assassinations have been at their peak. Malala is the third journalist and human rights activist to have been killed by armed men in daylight in the past month and a half. In an interview with Tolonews, she had mentioned receiving death threats for her work.
While leaders continue to condemn each attack on civilians, the Afghan people are losing hope on what the peace process means for them, unprecedented killings of the civilian people. In continuing with condemnations from global allies and Afghan leaders on the increased violence, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in support of the Afghan people, calling out Taliban violence and a commitment to supporting Afghan’s human rights.
Sources: Twitter 12/10/2020, Relief Web 12/12/2012, Tolonews 12/10/2020
