Re “Give the Taliban a chance” (Opinion, Nov. 12) by Jack Fairweather: We absolutely cannot “give the Taliban a chance.” The return of the Taliban to government would be detrimental to women’s rights, global security and democracy. The West has not imposed a vision for Afghanistan that is inconsistent with the desires of the Afghan people. This year, we Afghans experienced the first democratic transfer of power in our history; this was a significant step forward.
Mr. Fairweather is correct in implying that the return of the Taliban would not be a “bad thing” — it would be much, much worse. Legitimizing a minority terrorist group that refuses to abide by international law would roll back over a decade’s worth of gains and would be a slap in the face to Afghan women and victims of rights violations everywhere.
