Kabul, Afghanistan – The Taliban is apparently trying to dispel fears they will violently repress women and dissenters by announcing an "amnesty" on Tuesday.

Though it is not quite clear how this "amnesty" works, the Taliban says they will not punish those who worked with the Afghan government or foreign nations. They also said they wanted women to join the new government, the Associated Press reported.

"The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims," said Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban's cultural commission. "They should be in the government structure according to Shariah law."

The statement seems to be a response to an international outcry, issued by Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, among others, warning of the deadly harm that could come to Afghan women, girls, and activists under Taliban rule.

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Many remain skeptical of the Taliban's statement, as the last time the Taliban were in control in the 1990s, women were barred from most public places.

People were punished for violating the repressive rules in terrible ways, including by stoning, amputation, flagellation, and public execution.

This time around, the Taliban also reportedly told its fighters not to enter private homes or steal private cars.

Mullah Yaqoob, head of the Taliban's military commission, said in an audio message broadcast by Tolo News: "We have just arrived into ... Kabul. No one should enter people's houses or take their vehicles, under no circumstances. If an official or an individual do this, this is a treason to the system; this is a treason to the bloods of the martyrs and is considered as theft."

Nevertheless, people are scared and reporters on the ground say Taliban fighters are knocking on doors in search of journalists and dissenters.

After thousands of people flocked to the Kabul airport searching desperately for a way out of the country, human rights activists and advocates are calling on Western governments to grant asylum to more Afghan refugees.