The Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan, Karen Decker, apologised on Thursday for tweets that were deemed inappropriate and insensitive to the plight of Afghan women.
Posted on Wednesday, Decker suggested that Afghan women could find inspiration in African American history and culture, particularly the #BlackGirlMagic social media movement. “Are Afghans familiar with #BlackGirlMagic and the movement it inspired? Do Afghan girls need a similar movement? What about Afghan Women?” She said. Adding that “Teach me, ready to learn. @Beyonce @lizzo @ReginaKing.”
Decker’s comments were met with harsh criticism, including from senior Republican Senator, Ted Cruz.
Christina Pushaw, an aide to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely believed to be running to challenge Donald Trump for his party’s presidential nomination, said, “Beyond parody. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.”
Decker’s apology followed a rebuke from the State Department, with spokesman, Ned Price, calling her tweets “rather inappropriate and ineffective.”
Former Afghan lawmaker Fawzia Koofi, who fled to Britain after the Taliban takeover, tweeted that while she doesn’t believe many girls in Afghanistan are familiar with #BlackGirlMagic, “they definitely (have) made day and night sleep difficult for (the) Taliban.”
