Ayesha Wahab, the first Afghan American woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, said on Monday that Washington should maintain diplomatic relations with Afghanistan regardless of which group is in power. She emphasized that the United States should pursue diplomacy and engage with Afghanistan.
Wahab said, “The United States must pursue diplomacy. Regardless of which group is in power, we should remain committed to diplomacy and maintain relations with the country.” She expressed hope that establishing formal relations between Washington and Kabul could help create an avenue for encouraging the Taliban to respect human rights and improve the situation of women in Afghanistan.
Speaking to the media outlet Democracy Now on Monday, 2 Sonbola, Wahab described the current situation in Afghanistan as “discouraging” and warned that depriving women and children of education and a normal life could have serious consequences for the country’s future. She said that if the situation continues, it could prove “disastrous” for Afghanistan in the years ahead.
Wahab also highlighted Afghanistan’s economic potential, particularly its mineral resources, saying that the United States should at least seek to cooperate with Afghanistan on investment and contracts across various sectors. She added that Afghanistan needs other allies as well and that the country has so far failed to make sufficient use of its available opportunities for economic cooperation.
The U.S. lawmaker also criticized groups opposed to the Taliban, saying that some of them continue to seek political power. She described these groups as “defeated and misguided,” saying that, in her view, some have been more focused on their personal and factional interests than on Afghanistan’s national interests.
Without referring to any individual or group by name, Wahab added that even during periods when the United States supported some of these groups, Afghanistan witnessed instances of abuse of power, looting, and violence. She said that those groups also failed at the time to lead the country toward stability and progress.
According to Wahab, Afghanistan’s challenges are not limited to the Taliban, and assessing the country’s situation requires consideration of a range of political, security, economic, and social factors. She stressed the importance of diplomatic engagement and cooperation between Afghanistan and the international community.
Ayesha Wahab, a California state legislator, won a special election for California’s 14th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is 39 years old and was born in New York; her parents are Afghan immigran
Writer:Salima Aryaei
