(Note to readers from Media Matters and SPLC: This characterization describes what Decker is posting, not Black History Month itself.) In August 2021, Joe Biden committed the greatest betrayal of a foreign ally by any U.S. president when he unilaterally pulled U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, paving the way for the brutal Islamist Taliban to return to power nearly twenty years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Afghan women (and men) lost all the gains they had made in two decades under U.S. and NATO protection with the Taliban barring women and girls from secondary schools universities and most parts of public life while imposing strict clothing and travel restrictions on them.
While Afghans suffer under the oppressive yoke of the Taliban, Karen Decker, the Chargé d’Affaires in exile for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, has spent much of the month of February tweeting Black History Month nonsense to Afghans with only an occasional criticism of the Taliban.
Chargé d’Affaires Karen Decker, image via Kabul Now/Persian Independent.
In January, Decker foreshadowed the nonsense she would be tweeting to Afghans, by asking who is their Martin Luther King.
“We marked MLK Day on Monday, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a private citizen & religious leader who championed nonviolence as the pathway to achieving civil rights the U.S…As I reflected on his legacy this week, it occurs to me to ask – Who is Afghanistan’s MLK? What Afghan person, driven by their faith and a desire for peace, can lead the Afghan people “to the mountaintop?””
MLK was a Christian cleric, a man of peace who was successful because he appealed to a nation with a Constitution to uphold enshrined God-given rights for all men and women, and tat had a Judeo-Christian founding. Afghanistan is once again governed by barbaric Islamic clerics who waged war and terror to enslave the Afghan people. Joe Biden destroyed the hopes of Afghans for their MLK in August 2021.
Decker posted on January 31 her intent for the month, “#BlackHistoryMonth begins tomorrow. I plan to use this platform to showcase the courage and creativity of Black Americans. Welcome input from Afghans – what parallels do you see in your own search for peace, dignity, opportunity and justice?”
And here she went the next day and weeks:
“In 1960, four Black students ordered coffee at a diner in Greensboro, NC. They were refused service but they would not leave. They came back the next day & a “sit-in” movement was born. Has nonviolent protest ever been successful in Afghanistan? Why or why not? #BlackHistoryMonth”
Decker challenged Afghans to identify with Rosa Parks, “On her birthday, extra points given for identifying this phenomenal woman, who said “No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” #BlackHistoryMonth” The Taliban have banned women from air travel, public parks, gyms and have mandated women cover themselves from head to toe.
Decker had the gall to ask Afghans, whose dreams of freedom were shattered by Joe Biden, about a “dream deferred”, “Langston Hughes, one of the most influential American poets, wrote a short poem called Harlem. It begins with this line: “What happens to a dream deferred?” Tweet your best answer to the question. #BlackHistoryMonth”
Obligatory homage to Michelle Obama, “Throwback to 2014 and the First Lady of Fierce Michelle Obama pictured here with Dr. Nasrin Oryakhil. Fave: “History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.” Share your stories of hope and courage. #BlackHistoryMonth @MichelleObama”
President Abraham Lincoln saved the Union and freed the slaves. Decker: “He did some stuff,” but check out the NAACP!
“Abe Lincoln born today in 1809. He did some stuff. It’s also NAACP Day – home of grassroots activism, inclusive communities and making sure Black voices are heard. What does that look like for Afghans struggling to be heard? #BlackHistoryMonth @NAACP @LincolnsCottage”
A woke Decker Super Bowl tweet! “Super Bowl LVII. 2 elite QBs who happen to be Black made history in epic showdown. Congrats to @Chiefs for thrilling victory! Afghans – what’s the most exciting sports match you remember? #BlackHistoryMonth”
A response: “The game that @realZalmayMK played with the lives and future of million Afghans! Not exciting but unforgivable though!”
The coup de grâce came on Wednesday when Decker asked Afghans enslaved under the Taliban about “Black girl magic”, “Are Afghans familiar with #BlackGirlMagic and the movement it inspired? Do Afghan girls need a similar movement? What about Afghan Women? Teach me, ready to learn. #BlackHistoryMonth @Beyonce @lizzo @ReginaKing”
The abandoned U.S. Embassy in Kabul still has this statement posted that marks Biden’s betrayal of the Afghan people:
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul suspended operations on August 31, 2021. While the U.S. government has withdrawn its personnel from Kabul, U.S. citizens in Afghanistan in need of routine consular services can contact any U.S. embassy or consulate for assistance. To locate the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate please visit www.usembassy.gov. U.S. citizens who are in Afghanistan and are seeking U.S. government assistance to depart should either complete the Repatriation Form or, if you are unable to access the form, please email your complete biographic details and contact information (email and phone number) as well as your US Passport number to [email protected] We will also continue our efforts to help Lawful Permanent Residents, as well as the many Afghans who have stood with us over the years, who are seeking to leave Afghanistan.
Our commitment to the people of Afghanistan is enduring. We will continue to press for an orderly transition of power to an inclusive government with broad support and that respects the rights of all of its citizens, including women and minorities. We will use every diplomatic, economic, political, and assistance tool at our disposal to uphold the basic rights of all Afghans; support continued humanitarian access to the country; and ensure the Taliban honors its commitments.