While the world’s focus is centered on war in Ukraine and Gaza, a more subtle but profound shift is occurring in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s takeover has been greeted with muted international criticism, allowing their government to slowly acquire tacit legitimacy.
Experts point out that comparative calm in Afghanistan has permitted the Taliban to consolidate their control over government out of the limelight of mass media attention. Although humanitarian and human rights crises continue to be acute, lack of large-scale violence has induced some regional powers to deal with the Taliban government more openly.
Pundits contend that such de facto normalization threatens to bypass serious debates on the group’s repressive policies, particularly against women’s rights and civil freedoms. Nevertheless, with the global diplomatic and media attention drawn away elsewhere, Afghanistan’s complicated domestic dynamics are attracting less global interference or scrutiny.
Onlookers caution that though Afghanistan might look stable on the surface, simmering issues persist in the background. The shifting geopolitics are having many wonder if the Taliban’s current position will ultimately find its way to official recognition by the global community.
