'My heart was breaking': Maritimers with Afghan connections worried about women and girls
More than an ocean away from the country of her birth, the president of the Afghan Society of Halifax stays connected as best she can, often through shared videos and information on social media sites.
Gulmakai M. Sarvar is still astonished at the breathtaking speed the Taliban took over the country after the U.S. pulled out, a decision that still baffles her.
"They did fight over 20 years with the Taliban, and then left over? It is unbelievable."
Unbelievable, too, are the images emerging from that country, although there was relative-calm at the airport in Kabul on Tuesday.
Still, scores of desperate people continue to flock there, hoping to get out, despite Taliban assurances of an "amnesty" across Afghanistan.
The United Nations is skeptical.
"It's very early now, it's very fluid. It's very hard to say what is happening exactly," said Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights from Geneva
Celebrated Pakistani Activist and Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai was more blunt.
"I am deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan right now, especially for the safety of women and girls there," she said.
Tens of millions of others clearly agree, with the hashtag #AfghanWomen trending on Twitter and other sites.
Older generations remember the Taliban's ultra-conservative Islamic views, which included severe restrictions on women as well as stonings, amputations and public executions.
Stories are already circulating that not much has changed, with the group reportedly collecting information about younger females.
"Each fighter apparently deserves four wives," said Halifax entrepreneur and human rights activist Barb Stegemann from her home in Bedford.
Intimately connected to the country since her best friend survived a horrific attack, Stegemann has been buying essential oils from Afghanistan for years for her fragrance brand, The 7 Virtues.
With the U.S. gone, she says the world has to step up to protect the vulnerable.
"So, the core of the solution, is the international leadership getting very serious about not accepting corruption - and I'm really not seeing that," she said.
Frustration, too, at theAfghan Society of Halifax,where nearly all news from home these days is bad.
"I saw the videos on social media -- my heart was breaking," said Gulmakai.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
WATCH LIVE @ 3:30 P.M. Video shows person break into Old Montreal building before fatal fire that killed mother, daughter
The two people who died in a major fire in Old Montreal on Friday were a mother and her seven-year-old daughter, sources told Noovo Info.
Tropical Storm Milton forms in Gulf of Mexico, could intensify as a hurricane threatening Florida
Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. It is located 220 miles (355 kilometres) north-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico.
'I screamed in shock and horror': Family faces deadly Vancouver hit-and-run driver during sentencing
The sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty in the deadly hit-and-run in Kitsilano two years ago began on Friday.
Frequent drinking of fizzy beverages and fruit juice are linked to an increased risk of stroke: research
New data raises questions about the drinks people consume and the potential risks associated with them, according to researchers at Galway University in Ireland, in partnership with Hamilton’s McMaster University.
Northwestern Ont. woman charged with arson with disregard for human life
A 30-year-old northwestern Ontario woman has been charged with arson following a structure fire Thursday night, police say.
OPP charge driver going 175 km/h on Highway 417 in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police have laid stunt charges against a driver caught speeding 75 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end.
Looking for cheap flights for the holidays? Here are some tips to remember
Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you're getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.
A French judge in a shocking rape case allows the public to see some of the video evidence
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
The Menendez brothers case is not the only one that's been affected by a true crime documentary
Being an armchair detective has turned into an American obsession, fueled by an abundance of true-crime content in podcasts and television series. But some of those projects have sparked actual legal developments.