VOA慢速英语--塔利班寻求与包括美国在内的所有国家建立友好关系

Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers say they want education and jobs for women.

A top Taliban leader expressed that idea while talking with The Associated Press (AP) recently. He said the group seeks to earn the world's "mercy and compassion¹" to help millions of Afghans in need.

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also told the AP that the Taliban government wants good relations with all countries. He said it has no problem with the United States. He urged the United States and other nations to release up to $10 billion that were frozen² when the Taliban took power. The Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15 when the earlier Afghan government fled the country.

"Sanctions³ against Afghanistan would...not have any benefit," Muttaqi said from Kabul on Sunday.

"Making Afghanistan unstable⁴ or having a weak Afghan government is not in the interest of anyone," he added. His assistants include workers from earlier governments as well as Taliban fighters.

Muttaqi said he understood the world's anger over limits on girls' education and on women in the workforce⁵. In many parts of Afghanistan, female students between grades seven and 12 have not been permitted to go to school since the Taliban took over. Many female government workers have been told to stay home. Taliban officials have said they need time to create schools and workplaces which separate women and men to meet Islamic rules.

The Taliban first ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The group barred girls and women from schools and jobs. They also banned most entertainment and sports, and carried out executions⁶ in front of large crowds.

But Muttaqi said the Taliban has changed since it last ruled.

Muttaqi said that under the new Taliban government, girls are going to school all the way through grade 12. He said the gains are taking place in 10 of the country's 34 provinces. Private schools and colleges are operating as they were before the Taliban took power. And all women who had held jobs in healthcare are working again.

"This shows that we are committed in principle to women participation⁷," he said.

He said the Taliban has not targeted its opponents. Leaders of the earlier government live without threat in Kabul, he said. Most of them, however, have fled.

Last month, the international group Human Rights Watch published a report that said the Taliban killed or caused more than 100 former police and intelligence officials to disappear. However, there have been no reports of mass acts of punishment.

He said the Taliban made mistakes in their first months in power and promised to make reforms to help the nation. He did not tell the AP what the mistakes were or what the possible reforms could be.

Muttaqi disputed comments by U.S. General Frank McKenzie. He said that the terror group al-Qaida has gotten more powerful in Afghanistan since the Americans left. McKenzie is America's top military official in the Middle East.

The Taliban promised in a February 2020 agreement that it would fight terrorism if U.S troops left the country. Muttaqi said Sunday that the Taliban have kept that promise.

"Unfortunately, there are (always) allegations against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, but there is no proof," Muttaqi said.

Militants⁸ from the Islamic State group have been carrying out more attacks on the Taliban and religious minorities in the past four months. Muttaqi said he does not think the Taliban would cooperate with the U.S. in a battle against the Islamic State group.

However, he said he hopes that with time the U.S. will see a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as a benefit to the U.S.

"America will slowly, slowly change its policy toward Afghanistan," he said.

Words in This Story

mercy — n. kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly⁹

compassion — n. a feeling of wanting to help someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble

sanctions — n.(pl.) actions taken to force a country to obey international law by limiting or stopping trade or cutting economic aid

benefit — n. a good or helpful result or effect

unstable — n. not held in a secure position ; likely to move or fall

entertainment — n amusement or pleasure that comes from watching a performer, playing a game

commit — v. to do something; to carry something out

principle — n. used to say that something which has not yet happened or been done should be possible according to what is known

participation — n. to be involved with others in doing something; to take part in an activity or event with others

allegation — n. a statement saying that someone has done something wrong or illegal

1 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

2 frozen   

adj.冻结的，冰冻的

参考例句：

• He was frozen to death on a snowing night.在一个风雪的晚上，他被冻死了。
• The weather is cold and the ground is frozen.天寒地冻。

3 sanctions   

批准( sanction的名词复数 )； 认可； 制裁； 约束力

参考例句：

• There was general acquiescence in the UN sanctions. 普遍默认了联合国的制裁。
• Trade sanctions were imposed against any country that refused to sign the agreement. 凡拒签该协议的国家均受到贸易制裁。

4 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

5 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

6 executions   

n.实行( execution的名词复数 )；（尤指遗嘱的）执行；演奏；依法处决

参考例句：

• Executions used to be held in public. 过去处决犯人都公开执行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The espionage, the betrayals, the arrests, the tortures, the executions, the disappearances will never cease. 间谍活动、叛党卖国、逮捕拷打、处决灭迹，这种事情永远不会完。 来自英汉文学

7 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

8 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

9 harshly   

ad.严厉地；苛刻地

参考例句：

• The grit beneath her soles grated harshly on the wooden deck. 粘在她鞋底的沙砾蹭在木甲板上发出刺耳的声音。
• We should not judge the young writers too harshly. 我们不应当对青年作家太苛求。