OPINION:
President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory wasn’t just a win; it was a mandate to rewrite America’s relationship with the Islamic world.
Pundits are speculating on whether Mr. Trump will double down on isolating Iran and dismantling its terrorist networks or if he’ll focus on brokering peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
While these are noble goals, they’re also long-term gambits that demand painstaking negotiation. But the most immediate challenge ripe for action lies elsewhere — rescuing women’s rights in Afghanistan.
At first glance, it might seem absurd to view Mr. Trump as a crusader for women’s rights, particularly in tumultuous Afghanistan. Critics often reduce him to his crude remarks or the misunderstood “Muslim travel ban.”
Yet beneath the surface lies an impressive foreign outlook. Mr. Trump’s approach mirrors President Theodore Roosevelt’s famous dictum: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” His diplomacy is pragmatic and guided by hard realities — qualities that the Taliban respect.
Unlike his predecessors George W. Bush, Barack Obama or even President Biden, Mr. Trump rejects imposing Western norms through moral grandstanding or force. Such attempts have left chaos in Libya, Syria and Iraq and hundreds of thousands dead.
Mr. Trump’s approach is calculated, transactional and unapologetically grounded in leveraging power to secure achievable goals.
Sometimes, those goals include social advances.
The proof lies in his record. As president, Mr. Trump delivered results that eluded other administrations. His efforts ushered in the Abraham Accords, normalizing ties between Israel and four Arab nations.
He also strengthened alliances with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, using economic incentives and security agreements to counter Iran. This was not idealism but tangible statecraft.
Even when it came to the Taliban, Mr. Trump broke the mold. While past administrations sunk deeper into escalation, Mr. Trump shifted gears, negotiating from a position of strength. He presented satellite images of Taliban leaders’ homes during talks — not to intimidate but to establish leverage.
Crude? Maybe. Effective? Certainly.
To glimpse Mr. Trump’s potential strategy for the Taliban, we can look at his approach to Saudi Arabia. Backing the kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan, Mr. Trump supported groundbreaking reforms for such a conservative nation. These included lifting the ban on women driving, combating workplace harassment and raising women’s workforce participation target from 22% to 30%. These are steppingstones to a broader economic and social transformation.
This strategy could provide a blueprint for Afghanistan, where women are key to economic revival. The Taliban’s return plunged the nation into fiscal collapse, with billions in foreign funds frozen and hundreds of thousands of skilled workers fleeing.
If empowered, women could fill this void and help rebuild their shattered nation. Mr. Trump’s transactional approach — offering legitimacy and economic aid in exchange for social reforms — could be Afghanistan’s lifeline.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Taliban now say they’re ready for a “new chapter” with America. Their survival hinges on securing global recognition and economic stability.
Mr. Trump’s unique position gives him a decisive edge. Any pathway to inclusion in the global order, however, must come with conditions: namely, a commitment to women’s right to work.
The U.N. has tried and failed to make headway on this front. Despite its rhetoric about gender equality, the U.N. has consistently submitted to the Taliban. From excluding women from the peace talks in Qatar to extending a red-carpet welcome at events such as its climate change conference, the U.N.’s record is one of capitulation. Its flaccidity shows we need a leader like Mr. Trump who understands power.
Mr. Trump’s unconventional diplomacy may be the critical force needed to secure the future of Afghan women. The groundwork for progress is already being laid. Islamabad will host the Global Conference on Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities in January, spearheaded by the Muslim World League and its secretary general, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa. There, top scholars, educators, policymakers and even the prime minister of Pakistan will confront a Taliban delegation and challenge their entrenched ideologies head-on.
The conference’s goal is ambitious yet essential: Affirming that Islam permits and mandates education for women. By rooting women’s rights in Islamic teachings and setting a new regional course, the delegation aims to dismantle the Taliban’s ideological excuses and open a pathway for constructive dialogue.
As a pragmatic dealmaker, Mr. Trump can leverage this local momentum to make women’s education a non-negotiable condition for Afghanistan’s reintegration into the global order. This is why a former ambassador and publications critical of Mr. Trump, such as The Atlantic, acknowledge his potential to drive meaningful change in Afghanistan.
The stakes are too high to ignore. Without urgent action, we condemn generations of Afghan women to a life of servitude and squander the chance to rebuild their nation. Here, bold action could shatter the chains of oppression, offering Afghan women the tools to reclaim their futures.
So, mock Mr. Trump all you want, but his leadership could unlock a future where Afghan women stand as empowered contributors to their society. In the end, it won’t be lofty speeches or empty promises that decide the fate of Afghan women. It will be the courage to broker a realistic deal that changes lives.
• Dalia al-Aqidi is an Iraqi-born journalist, activist and Republican politician who fled Saddam Hussein’s regime in 1993, seeking refuge in the United States. With over 35 years of journalism experience, including work with Voice of America and Al-Arabiya, she has reported from war zones and advocated counter-extremism.
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