Afghan Women's Rights March Ended By Taliban Gunfire

The remaining Afghan citizens under revived Taliban rule have experienced the changes to society beset by the Taliban. One of the first shifts in reality became a complete surrendering of women's rights due to reinstated Sharia law.

On Saturday, Maryam Naiby joined a women's march in Kabul to voice opposition to the siege on rights for Afghan women and their families under the Taliban. The gathering sought to promote a need for basic freedoms granted inside other countries. They were quickly met with deterring gunfire from the armed Taliban's militia, ending the protest.

In a report from the AP, Naiby stated that the purpose of Saturday's interrupted march was a cry for normalcy once established under Afghanistan's partnership with the United States and other allies. “We are here to gain human rights in Afghanistan,” declared the defiant citizen. “I love my country. I will always be here.”

Another protestor at the scene, Sudaba Kabiri, said the march was dispersed once the Taliban fired tear gas into the crowd after the cautioning gunshots. The group of women, described as "all in their early 20s," met at the Afghan Defense Ministry to both demand the rights promised by the Taliban on a global stage, and honor the fallen Afghan soldiers killed in the Taliban's wake. Hundreds of citizens have been killed since the siege of Afghanistan's capital city.

Early Saturday, Reuters reported that an additional 17 Afghan citizens had been killed due to "celebratory gunfire" following the Taliban's control of the Panjshir province.

A Taliban spokesman attempted to quell condemnations, via Twitter. Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted, "Avoid shooting in the air and thank God instead. Bullets can harm civilians, so don't shoot unnecessarily."

Less than a month since the Aug. 14 siege of Kabul, terrorist forces have adopted new artillery and have been acknowledged by countries including China and Russia. With the United States' withdrawal costing both the superpower and its partners a loss against the Taliban insurgents, the terrorist rule appears likely to persist and strengthen — a grim reality for Maryam Naiby, Sudaba Kabiri and women's rights groups in Afghanistan

Based on latest reporting from the AP, the literacy rate of Afghan women currently sits at 37 percent.

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