Women's rights in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule

[MenInG]

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that it is a mistake to think that someone from outside can give Afghan women their rights, saying that the women in the neighbouring country are strong and the international community should give them time and they will get their rights themselves.

In an interview with CNN, he said women should have the ability in society to fulfil their potential in life but you cannot impose women's rights from abroad in Afghanistan.

"I feel very strongly that it is a mistake that someone from outside will give Afghan women rights," he added.

'Push them in the right direction'

PM Imran said that the international community should incentivise the Taliban rather than thinking that we can control them. "Afghanistan's current government clearly feels that without international aid and help, they will not be able to end the crisis... we should push them in the right direction."

He said that no one can predict where Afghanistan goes from here and one can only hope and pray that they get peace after 40 years of war.

"Taliban have said that they want an inclusive government, they want women rights in their own context, they want human rights, they've given amnesty... so far what they've said clearly [indicates] they want international acceptability," he added.

The premier said that it is a "fallacy" to think that Afghanistan can be controlled from the outside. "They have a history... no puppet government in Afghanistan is supported by its people, it gets discredit amongst the people."

PM Imran said the neighbouring country was on a historic crossroads, adding that if the government in Afghanistan can work towards an inclusive government and get all the factions together, the war-torn country could have peace after 40 years. However, he added, if it goes wrong, the country could go to chaos, the biggest humanitarian crisis and terrorism from its soil.

‘Biden phone call’

To a question regarding US President Joe Biden’s expected phone call to him over the Afghan crisis, PM Imran said that he hasn't called him since he's a "busy man". "I spoke to him (Biden) when he was Senator Joe Biden way back in 2008," he added.

The interviewer then asked was the US punishing Pakistan by not talking with you for supporting the Taliban? The premier responded by saying that "you have to ask him [Biden] since he's too busy to call".

"But let me just say one thing. I heard there’s a Senate hearing going on during which US Secretary of State [Anthony] Blinken was asked all these questions. I want to say this and I hope American politicians are listening to this... you know Pakistan is [that] country [which] just because we sided with the US, we became an ally with the US after 9/11 in the war in Afghanistan, we went through the worst suffering."

Pak-US ties in historic perspective

PM Imran said that at one point there were 50 militant groups attacking the government just because Pakistan supported the US. "In the 80s, Pakistan joined the US against the Soviets. We trained the Mujahideen to do Jihad in Afghanistan. Amongst them were al Qaeda... the Taliban were part of the Mujahideen groups. We trained them that fighting against foreign occupation is a sacred duty. Fast forward to 9/11, the US needed us in Afghanistan. [Former US president] George Bush asks Pakistan for help and he famously said we will not abandon Afghanistan again. Pakistan joined the US war in Afghanistan. Was I the prime minister at that time I would've never ever done that."

He said that after the US invaded Afghanistan, we told the same Mujahideen that what they were doing was terrorism, which he added turned them against Pakistan.

"The Pashtun nationalism kicked in on our side of the border in the tribal belt. They had all sympathies with the Taliban not because of religious ideology ... you have to understand what happened and I really want people to know... they turned against the Pakistan Army as collaborators so the Jihadis turned against us, the Pashtuns turned against us and the more we tried the military operations in civilian areas, we had more collateral damage... we had 50 militant groups attacking us and on top of it ... they must also know... there were 480 drone attacks in Pakistan by the US... that's the only time a country has been attacked by its own ally."

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2320352/womens-rights-in-afghanistan-cant-be-imposed-from-outside-pm

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

The further war and the instability the war will surely bring will only bring further misfortune to Afghans (and especially Afghan women).

In times of smartphones and social media, Young Afghans can easily change their nation for the better, in a decade. But for that to happen, it is very important that no further violence is instigated.

This is the age structure of Afghanistan's extremely young population:

0–14 years: 40.62% (male 7,562,703/female 7,321,646)
15-24 years: 21.26% (male 3,960,044/female 3,828,670)
25-54 years: 31.44% (male 5,858,675/female 5,661,887)
55-64 years: 4.01% (male 724,597/female 744,910)
65 years and over: 2.68% (male 451,852/female 528,831) (2020 est.)

Look at this beautiful pyramid:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Afghanistan

 

[Third_Umpire]

Two unfortunate truths here. What Imran said is true, however so is the fact that Taliban are living in the stone age and not about to give women any rights anytime soon. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

[PakLFC]

IK is totally correct. When his own wife dresses all covered in black it matters little to him if the same occurs in Afghanistan forced or not. The more you reason with the Taliban they greater the resistance. They just hate anything progressive seeing it as a form of westernisation. This is the core problem they have.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

What does giving women their rights even mean?

I think some of us here would think that it means women walking in Bikinis in the open public would be the best indicator of women getting their rights.

But if you think women rights would mean, their right to education? Then yes, that right has been given/promised.

If you think women rights means finding work?
Well, the country is bankrupt, economy has been shattered to pieces, there is a historical record rate of unemployment, there are no jobs even for qualified men. And we want Talibans to fix everything within a month?
Which third world country has the exemplary rights for women in place that we want Afghanis to reach?

What are we saying? There are male doctors n nurses working in the gyne wards of Afghan hospitals?

Due to extreme joblessness resulting in potentially high crime rate, Talibans have asked some women (mostly jobless) to stay home for their own safety.

There is no organized police n law enforcement system in place. There are no checks n balances in place. And you can’t really always trust the judgement of an illustrate Talibani foot soldier guarding the street with a loaded AK-47.

These men have centuries old tribal mindset. Some of them could lose emotional control in seconds if they see a female in what does not sit well with their tribal upbringing.

Talibans can’t give jobs to all women (and men), they are very, very long way from bringing even the basic stability to economy and law enforcement.

They are not slaughtering women. So calm down.

 

[sweep_shot]

What does giving women their rights even mean?

I think some of us here would think that it means women walking in Bikinis in the open public would be the best indicator of women getting their rights.

But if you think women rights would mean, their right to education? Then yes, that right has been given/promised.

If you think women rights means finding work?
Well, the country is bankrupt, economy has been shattered to pieces, there is a historical record rate of unemployment, there are no jobs even for qualified men. And we want Talibans to fix everything within a month?
Which third world country has the exemplary rights for women in place that we want Afghanis to reach?

What are we saying? There are male doctors n nurses working in the gyne wards of Afghan hospitals?

Due to extreme joblessness resulting in potentially high crime rate, Talibans have asked some women (mostly jobless) to stay home for their own safety.

There is no organized police n law enforcement system in place. There are no checks n balances in place. And you can’t really always trust the judgement of an illustrate Talibani foot soldier guarding the street with a loaded AK-47.

These men have centuries old tribal mindset. Some of them could lose emotional control in seconds if they see a female in what does not sit well with their tribal upbringing.

Talibans can’t give jobs to all women (and men), they are very, very long way from bringing even the basic stability to economy and law enforcement.

They are not slaughtering women. So calm down.

Good post.

Some people seem confused about definition of progress. Progress doesn't mean being in bikini.

Regarding Imran Khan, I think he has a valid point. Let Afghans decide how they want to proceed.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Good post.

Some people seem confused about definition of progress. Progress doesn't mean being in bikini.

Regarding Imran Khan, I think he has a valid point. Let Afghans decide how they want to proceed.

You are entirely missing the point. Progress doesn’t mean wearing a bikini But it does mean having the option to wear a bikini if you wish so.

In Canada and US; you will see women wear head to toe niqabs. In taliban run Afghanistan (or Pakistan or wherever) the chances of a woman having the choice to wear a bikini are lower than chances of Taliban sending a man to the moon.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Is this a joke ? Womens rights and Afghanistan ?????? Good lord )

 

[Mamoon]

This wasn’t even his biggest goof up of the interview.

He said Haqqani is a tribe. ) ) )

He embarrasses himself and his country every time he opens his mouth.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

You are entirely missing the point. Progress doesn’t mean wearing a bikini But it does mean having the option to wear a bikini if you wish so.

In Canada and US; you will see women wear head to toe niqabs. In taliban run Afghanistan (or Pakistan or wherever) the chances of a woman having the choice to wear a bikini are lower than chances of Taliban sending a man to the moon.

"Being able to wearing Bikini in public to indicate a progressive environment", is something that you can't implement in your own home. Can you? Think before you blabber hopeless philosophies from the rear end.

 

[The_KING]

Imran Khan should focus on the rights and safety of women in his country. Women are getting brutally raped and murdered every day in his country. How about he makes the lives of women in Pakistan better?

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Good post.

Some people seem confused about definition of progress. Progress doesn't mean being in bikini.

Regarding Imran Khan, I think he has a valid point. Let Afghans decide how they want to proceed.

Why is all progress linked to bikini or the non wearing of a bikini.

It seems most Muslims believe all woman looking to get empowered are ranting about "BIKINI CLAD ATTIRE".

Read up the word progress first before thinking it means clothing ONLY.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Lol, this women's rights nonsense again. Imran's falling into their trap just by touching the subject. There are bigger things to worry about in Afghanistan.

 

[MenInG]

The Taliban on Thursday violently cracked down on a small women's rights demonstration, firing shots into the air and pushing back protesters, AFP journalists witnessed.

A group of six women gathered outside a high school in eastern Kabul, demanding the right for girls to return to secondary school after the group excluded them from classes earlier this month.

The women unfurled a banner that read “Don't break our pens, don't burn our books, don't close our schools”, before Taliban guards snatched it from them.

They pushed back the women protesters as they tried to continue with the demonstration, while a foreign journalist was hit with a rifle and blocked from filming.

A Taliban fighter also released a brief burst of gunfire into the air with his automatic weapon, AFP journalists saw.

The demonstrators — from a group called the “Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women Activists” — took refuge inside the school.

Taliban guard Mawlawi Nasratullah, who led the group and identified himself as the head of special forces in Kabul, said the demonstrators “did not coordinate with security authorities regarding their protest”.

“They have the right to protest in our country like every other country. But they must inform the security institutes before,” he said.

Isolated rallies with women at the forefront were staged in cities around the country after the Taliban seized power, including in the western city of Herat where two people were shot dead.

But protests have dwindled since the government issued an order that unsanctioned demonstrations and warned of “severe legal action” for violators.

It has been almost two weeks since girls were prevented from going to secondary school.

The Taliban follow a strict interpretation of sharia law that segregates men and women and have also slashed women's access to work.

They have said they need to establish the right conditions before girls can return to the classroom, but many Afghans are sceptical.

 

[MenInG]

Leaving her homeland Afghanistan was painful, says 15-year-old Sarah. But now safely in Portugal, she hopes to pursue her dream of playing soccer professionally - and perhaps meeting her idol, star striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sarah was one of several players from Afghanistan's national female youth soccer squad who fled their country in fear after the Taliban movement seized power in August.

Portugal has granted asylum to the young footballers.

"I'm free," she said, smiling from ear-to-ear as she visited Lisbon's landmark Belem Tower on the River Tagus with her mother and teammates.

"My dream is to be a good player like Ronaldo - and I want to be a big business woman here in Portugal," she said.

She hoped to go back home one day but only if she can live freely.

Her mother, who requested that Reuters did not use their surname, had experienced first-hand a previous era of Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001. She is less optimistic they will ever be able to return.

Taliban leaders have promised to respect women's rights but under their first government, women could not work and girls were banned from school. Women had to cover their faces and be accompanied by a male relative when they left home.

A senior Taliban official said after the Aug. 15 takeover that women would probably not be allowed to play sport because it was "not necessary" and their bodies might be exposed.

"The reason we took on this mission (to evacuate the team) was to ensure they can aspire and play the sport they love," said Farkhunda Muhtaj, captain of the Afghanistan women's senior national team, who flew to Lisbon on Wednesday to surprise the youth team players.

From her home in Canada, where she works as assistant soccer coach at a local university, Muhtaj has been in touch with the girls throughout the evacuation process, codenamed Operation Soccer Balls. It managed to rescue a total of 80 people - the female youth team and family members, including babies.

They landed in Portugal on Sept. 19.

When Muhtaj showed up on Wednesday night, the girls were ecstatic. They hugged. Some could not hold back the tears.

"They been through so much, so many challenges," Muhtaj said. "They were just resilient and they were able to make it happen."

One relative, 25-year-old Zaki Rasa, recalled the chaos at the Kabul airport, where he spent three anguished days. He is now delighted to be in Portugal and wants to continue his studies.

"There is some uncertainty about the future," he said. "The important thing is that we are safe."

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2322686/afghan-girls-soccer-squad-find-new-home-in-ronaldos-portugal

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

The Taliban on Thursday violently cracked down on a small women's rights demonstration, firing shots into the air and pushing back protesters, AFP journalists witnessed.

A group of six women gathered outside a high school in eastern Kabul, demanding the right for girls to return to secondary school after the group excluded them from classes earlier this month.

The women unfurled a banner that read “Don't break our pens, don't burn our books, don't close our schools”, before Taliban guards snatched it from them.

They pushed back the women protesters as they tried to continue with the demonstration, while a foreign journalist was hit with a rifle and blocked from filming.

A Taliban fighter also released a brief burst of gunfire into the air with his automatic weapon, AFP journalists saw.

The demonstrators — from a group called the “Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women Activists” — took refuge inside the school.

Taliban guard Mawlawi Nasratullah, who led the group and identified himself as the head of special forces in Kabul, said the demonstrators “did not coordinate with security authorities regarding their protest”.

“They have the right to protest in our country like every other country. But they must inform the security institutes before,” he said.

Isolated rallies with women at the forefront were staged in cities around the country after the Taliban seized power, including in the western city of Herat where two people were shot dead.

But protests have dwindled since the government issued an order that unsanctioned demonstrations and warned of “severe legal action” for violators.

It has been almost two weeks since girls were prevented from going to secondary school.

The Taliban follow a strict interpretation of sharia law that segregates men and women and have also slashed women's access to work.

They have said they need to establish the right conditions before girls can return to the classroom, but many Afghans are sceptical.

This is simply moronic behavior by Taliban

 

[Firebat]

Afghan girl footballers reach UK on Kim Kardashian West-funded flight

A group of Afghan girl footballers have flown into the UK, the culmination of an extraordinary rescue effort that began after the Taliban seized power.

The costly operation brought together an unlikely cast of characters, from Muslim sports-people to spies, philanthropists, and a Hasidic rabbi.

The girls - aged between 13 and 19 - arrived from Pakistan overnight.

Their flight was chartered by a Jewish aid organisation and was paid for by the US star, Kim Kardashian-West.

"It's Mission Accomplished," said Khalida Popal, former manager of Afghanistan's national women's team, who co-ordinated their rescue from Denmark. "I'm so happy and so proud of these girls. They were traumatised. They've been through so much and managed to stay strong. Now they can start a new life and breathe freedom."

Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, President & Founder of the Jewish aid group, the Tzedek Association, expressed his relief. "As the son and grandson of Holocaust survivors, a time when righteous non-Jewish people stepped up to the plate to help save so many Jewish people, I know in my heart that we must be there for others in their time of need at a time when their very lives are at risk," he said.

The teenagers, mostly from the Afghan provinces, all feared for their lives when the Taliban captured their cities. Some of their families had received death threats.

"People were searching houses for them" Ms Popal told the BBC.

Terrified, they made their way to Kabul and were due to be evacuated to the Gulf state of Qatar at the end of August.

They were almost within sight of the airport when they were pulled off their buses because of security warnings. Two hours later, the airport was struck by a suicide bomb, killing more than 180 people.

So they went into hiding.

10 days later, following intense lobbying on their behalf, they were given the personal permission of the Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, to cross the border.

But they only had temporary Pakistani visas.

With the clock ticking, a frantic effort to find them a new home began.

The girls had the support of Leeds United Football club chairman Andrea Radrizzani. They also had the ear of the UK government - through a chain of former interpreters for the British military and influential veterans. Last month, they were granted visas.

But they still needed funding to get them on a flight. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian-West and her shapewear company SKIMS agreed to cover the costs.

A charter was organised, which flew the group of 130 people into Stansted airport last night. They are due to spend the next 10 days in quarantine.

"We've achieved our first goal," Khalida Popal told the BBC. "The next goal is to work with footballing organisations to help them start new careers in football."

"So many people were involved," Ms Popal said. "It's the hardest thing I've done in my life."

In separate rescue missions, the women's national team was flown to Australia as part of the mass Western evacuation in August. And members of Afghanistan girls' team were given asylum in Portugal.

But dozens of young Afghan female footballers remain stuck in Afghanistan, desperate for a way out.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59330365

 

[PakLFC]

They can't be imposed by someone who agree's with Taliban's brand of Islam. A man who divorced two women because they had their own mind will obviously agree with the Taliban. His third wife well we hardly see her talk, this should be a successful marriage for IK if this is what we call it. Indeed, no one can impose anything on the Taliban but our PM clearly agree's with what they do.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Lol, this women's rights nonsense again. Imran's falling into their trap just by touching the subject. There are bigger things to worry about in Afghanistan.

Agree. The US is holding $billions of Afghan assets. There needs to be a concerted push to get those funds released so Afghans don't have to watch their children starve to death. Poverty doesn't discriminate by gender, girls will die alongside the boys just as agonisingly for their families.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1665938/no-trips-for-afghan-women-unless-escorted-by-male-relative-taliban

Afghanistan's Taliban authorities said on Sunday that women seeking to travel anything other than short distances should not be offered transport unless they are accompanied by a close male relative.

The guidance, issued by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, also called on all vehicle owners to offer rides only to those women wearing hijabs.

“Women travelling for more than 45 miles (72 kilometres) should not be offered a ride if they are not accompanied by a close family member,” ministry spokesman Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP on Sunday, specifying that it must be a close male relative.

The guidance, circulated on social media networks, comes weeks after the ministry asked Afghanistan's television channels to stop showing dramas and soap operas featuring women actors.

The ministry had also called on women TV journalists to wear hijabs while presenting.

Muhajir said on Sunday that the hijab would also be required for women seeking transport. The ministry's directive also asked people to stop playing music in their vehicles.

The Taliban's interpretation of the hijab — which can range from a hair covering to a face veil or full-body covering — is unclear, and the majority of Afghan women already wear headscarves.

Since taking power in August, the Taliban have imposed various restrictions on women and girls, despite pledging a softer rule compared with their first stint in power in the 1990s.

In several provinces, local Taliban authorities have been persuaded to reopen schools — but many girls still remain cut off from secondary education.

Early this month, the group issued a decree in the name of their supreme leader, instructing the government to enforce women's rights.

The decree did not mention girls' access to education.

Activists hope that the Taliban's battle to gain international recognition and get aid flowing back into one of the poorest countries in the world will lead to them making concessions to women.

Respect for women's rights has repeatedly been cited by key global donors as a condition for restoring aid. Women's rights were severely curtailed during the Taliban's previous stint in power.

They were then forced to wear the all-covering burqa, only allowed to leave home with a male chaperone and banned from work and education.

 

[Tera Gawaandi]

Women's rights in Afghanistan can’t be imposed from outside.

That outside also includes men. Why force women to stay at home, cover etc. If they want they should be free to do so but not forced.

When will these people understand women are equal human beings. They also have dreams, desires, feelings just like men. Stop controlling your sisters and mothers.

 

[MenInG]

Taliban forces on Sunday fired pepper spray at a group of women protesters in Afghanistan's capital demanding rights to work and education, three demonstrators told AFP.

Since seizing control of the country by force in August, the Taliban authorities have imposed creeping restrictions on Afghans, especially on women.

Around 20 women gathered in front of Kabul University, chanting “equality and justice” and carrying banners that read “Women's rights, human rights”, an AFP correspondent reported.

The protest however was later dispersed by the Taliban fighters who arrived at the scene in several vehicles, three women protesters told AFP.

“When we were near Kabul University, three Taliban vehicles came, and fighters from one of the vehicles used pepper spray on us,” said a protester, who asked not to be named for security reasons.

“My right eye started to burn. I told one of them 'shame on you,' and then he pointed his gun at me.”

Two other protesters said that one of the women had to be taken to hospital after the spray caused an allergic reaction to her eyes and face.

An AFP correspondent saw a fighter confiscate a mobile phone of a man who was filming the demonstration.

The hardline Taliban have banned unsanctioned protests and frequently intervened to forcefully break up rallies demanding rights for women.

The Taliban authorities have blocked women public-sector employees from returning to work, many secondary schools have still not reopened for girls, and public universities are shut.

Long-distance trips for women who are not accompanied by a close male relative have been banned. The authorities have also issued guidelines that prevent television channels from broadcasting serials featuring women actors.

Meanwhile, many women are living in hiding, fearful of a regime notorious for human rights abuses during their first stint in power between 1996-2001, before being ousted by a US-led invasion.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1669800/taliban-fighters-pepper-spray-women-protesters-calling-for-rights

 

[Justcrazy]

Why is all progress linked to bikini or the non wearing of a bikini.

It seems most Muslims believe all woman looking to get empowered are ranting about "BIKINI CLAD ATTIRE".

Read up the word progress first before thinking it means clothing ONLY.

What does progress mean to you and what exactly has the Taliban done that is against Islam?

 

[MenInG]

The Taliban will allow girls around Afghanistan to return to class when high schools open next week, an education official said on Thursday, after months of uncertainty over whether the group would allow full access to education for girls and women.
"All schools are going to open to all boys and girls," Aziz Ahmad Rayan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, told Reuters.

"But there are some conditions for girls," he said, adding that girl students would be taught separately from males and only by female teachers.

In some rural areas where there was a shortage of female teachers, he said that older male teachers would be allowed to teach girls.

"There is no school that will close for this year. If there is any school that closes, it is the responsibility of the education ministry to open it," Rayan added.

Allowing girls and women into schools and colleges has been one of the key demands the international community has made of the hardline Islamist movement since it toppled the Western-backed government last August.

Most countries have so far refused to formally recognise the Taliban, amid concerns over their treatment of girls and women and allegations of human rights abuses against former soldiers and officials from the ousted administration.

The Taliban have vowed to investigate alleged abuses, and say they are not seeking revenge on their former enemies.

The last time the group ruled Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001, they banned female education and most employment. Since regaining power, boys and men have returned to education in far greater number than girls and women.

The Taliban is seeking to run the country according to its interpretation of Islamic law while at the same time accessing billions of dollars in development aid that it desperately needs to stave off widespread poverty and hunger.

Sanctions against some leading members of the group have complicated the situation.

The Taliban say they respect women's rights in accordance with Islamic law and local custom. But many women have reported restrictions on access to public life, including jobs, forcing some to drop out of the workforce.

Heather Barr, associate women's rights director at Human Rights Watch, urged the international community against complacency after the announcement.

"There has been a huge focus by donors on girls' secondary schools - multiple donors have told me they see this issue as 'totemic'," she said.

Barr added that reopening schools would not necessarily mean that the broader rights of women and girls in society would be protected.

Seventeen-year-old Farzana said she was already washing and ironing her uniform as she anticipated joining her friends in her Kabul classroom. After six months at home, she said she and others had struggled mentally being away from studies.

"I feel very powerful. We can show not only (the Taliban) but also the world (that) we never stop, and Afghanistan won't return to previous decades," she said.

NDTV

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Face veils for women now mandatory in Afghanistan… if a woman doesn’t comply:<br><br>- their male guardian visited at home<br><br>If still doesn’t comply<br><br>- their male guardian will be summoned to the Ministry of Vice & Virtue<br><br>Then<br><br>- guardian taken to court <br><br>- guardian jailed for 3 days <a href="https://t.co/gNXg4UOcO2">https://t.co/gNXg4UOcO2</a></p>— Secunder Kermani (@SecKermani) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKermani/status/1522832899254464513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Hassaan HS]

The Taliban has ordered all Afghan women to wear the all-covering burka in public.

The blue burka became a global symbol of the Taliban's previous regime in Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, and the decision to make it mandatory again marks an escalation of growing restrictions on women in public.

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice read a decree from the group's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada at a press conference in Kabul.

"We want our sisters to live with dignity and safety," said Khalid Hanafi, acting minister for the all-male ministry - which replaced the country's women's ministry after the militants took control in August 2021.

The decree says that if a woman does not cover her face outside the home, her father or closest male relative would be visited and eventually imprisoned or fired from government jobs.

It also states that if women have no important work to be done outside, it is better for them to stay at home.

"Islamic principles and Islamic ideology are more important to us than anything else," Mr Hanafi said.

The decree adds that the ideal face covering is the blue burka, which shows only the eyes.

Shir Mohammad, an official from the vice and virtue ministry, said: "For all dignified Afghan women wearing hajib is necessary and the best Hhajib is chadori (the head-to-toe burka) which is part of our tradition and is respectful.

"Those women who are not too old or young must cover their face, except the eyes."

Most women in Afghanistan wear a headscarf for religious reasons, but many in urban areas such as Kabul do not cover their faces.

The Taliban previously decided against reopening schools to girls above grade six (around 11 years old), going back on an earlier promise.

The international community has urged its leaders to to reconsider.

Prior to their takeover in 2021, the Taliban last ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until the US-led invasion in 2001, and banned female education and employment.

After the regime was toppled, girls and women were allowed to return to school and work, and the international community had made the education of girls a key demand for any future recognition of the Taliban administration.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

The Taliban have ordered female Afghan TV presenters to cover their faces while on air.

Media outlets were told of the decree on Wednesday, a religious police spokesman told BBC Pashto.

The ruling comes two weeks after all women were ordered to wear a face veil in public, or face punishment.

Restrictions on women are being tightened - they are banned from travelling without male relatives and secondary schools are shut for girls.

The new decree is being widely criticised on Twitter, with many calling it another step by the Taliban to promote extremism.

"The world deploys masks to protect people from Covid. The Taliban deploys masks to protect people from seeing the faces of women journalists. For the Taliban, women are a disease," one activist tweeted.

The private Shamshad news channel posted a photo of its news presenter wearing a mask, and other similar images are being shared on social media.

After taking power last August, the Taliban had held off issuing new laws on what women should wear - until this month.

But in early May the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue announced that all women would have to cover their face in public. Anyone refusing to comply now risks an escalating series of punishments.

The latest decree makes clear the hardline rulers' order on face coverings also applies to women on screen.

"Based on information received by Tolo news, the order has been issued to all media outlets in Afghanistan," the news channel reported.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Afghan Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued an edict refraining officials of the interim government from marrying more than once.

“A new decree of the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada instructed the members of the Islamic Emirate to avoid two, three or four marriages, which are not necessary and expensive,” read an official statement shared by Afghanistan’s ToloNews on Friday.

 

[Gilly]

Taliban are torturing women and depriving them of their human rights.

This is the hypocrisy of muslims, huge demonstrations if someone burns a koran but silence when women are being treated like animals.

 

[topspin]

ISIS and Taliban are the biggest enemies of Islam.

The word Khawrij comes to mind.

 

[MenInG]

Women presenters on Afghanistan's leading TV channels went on air Saturday without covering their faces, defying a Taliban order that they conceal their appearance to comply with the group's austere brand of Islam.

Since surging back to power last year the Taliban have imposed a slew of restrictions on civil society, many focused on reining in the rights of women and girls.

Earlier this month, Afghanistan's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a diktat for women to cover up fully in public, including their faces, ideally with the traditional burqa.

The feared Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice ordered women TV presenters to follow suit by Saturday.

Previously, they had only been required to wear a headscarf.

But broadcasters TOLOnews, Shamshad TV and 1TV all aired live programmes Saturday with women presenters' faces visible.

"Our female colleagues are concerned that if they cover their faces, the next thing they will be told is to stop working," said Shamshad TV head of news Abid Ehsas.

"This is the reason they have not observed the order so far," he told AFP, adding the channel had requested further discussions with the Taliban on the issue.

Taliban orders such as this have caused many female journalists to leave Afghanistan since the militants stormed back to power, a woman presenter said.

"Their latest order has broken the hearts of women presenters and many now think they have no future in this country," she said, requesting not to be named.

"I'm thinking of leaving the country. Decrees like this will force many professionals to leave."

'Implement the order'

Mohammad Sadeq Akif Mohajir, spokesman for the vice ministry, said the women presenters were violating the Taliban directive.

Also read: Taliban supreme leader advises officials against multiple marriages

"If they don't comply we will talk to the managers and guardians of the presenters," he told AFP.

"Anyone who lives under a particular system and government has to obey the laws and orders of that system, so they must implement the order," he said.

The Taliban have demanded that women government employees be fired if they fail to follow the new dress code.

Men working in government also risk suspension if their wives or daughters fail to comply.

Mohajir said media managers and the male guardians of defiant women presenters would also be liable for penalties if the order was not observed.

During two decades of US-led military intervention in Afghanistan, women and girls made marginal gains in the deeply patriarchal nation.

Soon after they took over, the Taliban promised a softer version of the harsh rule that characterised their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001.

Since the takeover, however, women have been banned from travelling alone and teenage girls barred from secondary schools.

In the 20 years after the Taliban were ousted from office in 2001, many women in the conservative countryside continued to wear a burqa.

But most Afghan women, including TV presenters, opted for the Islamic headscarf.

Television channels have already stopped showing dramas and soap operas featuring women, following orders from Taliban authorities.

Express Tribune

 

[MenInG]

Afghan Woman TV presenter.

 

[MenInG]

Afghan Woman TV presenter.

The Taliban have begun enforcing an order requiring women newsreaders to cover their face on air.

It announced the rule on Thursday and only a handful of programmes complied, however on Sunday most were seen covered up.

Several male newsreaders were later pictured wearing a black face mask in an act of apparent solidarity.

The vice and virtue ministry is enforcing the rule after Afghanistan's information and culture ministry issued a statement last week calling the policy "final and non-negotiable".

"It is just an outside culture imposed on us forcing us to wear a mask and that can create a problem for us while presenting our programs," said TOLOnews presenter Sonia Niazi.

Twitter users posted images of her male colleague, Sebghat Sepehr, presenting the evening news in a black mask, while a journalist on 1TVNewsAF did the same.

A media official, speaking anonymously to Associated Press, confirmed their channel was forced to implement the order on Sunday after being told there was no room for negotiation.

The rule is another example of the Taliban imposing an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam after seizing power last summer when America pulled out after 20 years.

There was hope the group might have moderated its approach because no dress code for women was initially announced.

However, the approach to women and girls has recently become more hardline, confirming fears of many who predicted a return to the worst days of the Taliban's rule from 1996-2001.

Women were told earlier this month to cover themselves head to toe with the burka and leave only their eyes visible, with male relatives facing punishment and even jail for any violations.

The decree also stated women should only go out when necessary.

"Islamic principles and Islamic ideology are more important to us than anything else," Khalid Hanafi, acting minister for the all-male ministry, said at the time.

Girls have also been banned from going to school past sixth grade (around 11 years old), breaking a previous Taliban pledge that all ages could get an education.

When the old regime was toppled, girls and women were allowed to return to school and work.

The international community has made girls' education a key demand for any future recognition of the Taliban government.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

The Taliban’s religious police have put up posters across the southern Afghan city of Kandahar saying that Muslim women who do not wear a hijab that fully covers their bodies are “trying to look like animals”, an official confirmed on Thursday.

Since seizing power in August, the Taliban have imposed harsh restrictions on Afghan women, rolling back the marginal gains they made during the two decades since the US invaded the country and ousted the Taliban’s previous regime.

In May, the country’s supreme leader and Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada approved a decree saying women should generally stay at home.

They were ordered to cover themselves completely, including their faces, should they need to go out in public.

This week, the Taliban’s feared Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which enforces the group’s strict interpretation of Islam, put up posters across Kandahar city showing images of burqas.

“Muslim women who do not wear the hijab are trying to look like animals,” say the posters, which have been slapped on many cafes and shops as well as on advertising hoardings across Kandahar — the de facto power centre of the Taliban.

Wearing short, tight and transparent clothes was also against Akhundzada’s decree, the posters say.

The ministry’s spokesman in Kabul was not reachable for comment, but a top local official confirmed that the posters were put up.

“We have put up these posters and those women whose faces are not covered (in public) we will inform their families and take steps according to the decree,” Abdul Rahman Tayebi, head of the ministry in Kandahar, said.

Akhundzada’s decree orders authorities to warn and even suspend from government jobs male relatives of women who do not comply.

Outside of Kabul, the burqa, the wearing of which was mandatory for women under the Taliban’s first stint in power, is common.

Published in Dawn,June 17th, 2022

 

[MenInG]

At least one participant at a gathering organised by the Taliban of 3,000 male religious and ethnic leaders from across Afghanistan called on Thursday for high schools for girls to reopen.

It was the first such gathering to take place since the group took over the country in August.

The Taliban in March backtracked on their announcement that high schools would open for girls, saying they would remain closed until a plan was drawn up in accordance with Islamic law for them to reopen.

The u-turn left students in tears and drew condemnation from humanitarian agencies, rights groups and diplomats.

"They will learn and will be a good guide for their children in society," said Sayed Nassrullah Waizi, from central Bamiyan province, in calling for the schools to open.

It was not clear how much support this sentiment would receive or how a decision on the issue might be reached.

International governments, particularly Washington, have said the Taliban needs to change its course on women's rights to roll back the enforcement of sanctions that have severely hampered the banking sector.

Afghanistan is in a deep economic crisis as billions in central bank reserves have been frozen and international sanctions enforced on the banking sector after the Taliban took control.

The country's acting prime minister said in a speech at the gathering in the capital Kabul that it was aimed at addressing challenges and strengthening the administration.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is trying to solve all problems ... this government has been reached after a lot of sacrifice, we should work together to strengthen it," Mohammad Hasan Akhund said.

Some local media reported sounds of continuous gunfire near the gathering. A Taliban administration spokesperson said there was no issue, that security was very high and the sounds of gunfire was due to a mistake by security guards.

The gathering appeared similar to a "loya jirga", a traditional form of decision making in Afghanistan that some leaders, including former republic President Ashraf Ghani have used.

Civil society groups have criticised the lack of female participation. The Taliban acting deputy prime minister said women's involvement was taking place as their male family members would attend.

Foreign states have called for an inclusive Afghan government. Key ministerial roles are held by Taliban members in an acting basis and the group has ruled out elections.

Express Tribune

 

[Champ_Pal]

Afghan Woman TV presenter.

There should not be an issue if Afghan women choose to dress like this as long as it is not forced on them.

 

[MenInG]

Taliban fighters have dispersed dozens of female protesters in Kabul, almost a year after the militant group seized power.

About 40 women marched through the Afghan capital demanding rights, before the Taliban broke it up by firing into the air.

The fighters seized their mobile phones, stopping one of the first women's protests in months.

Since the Taliban takeover, women rights' have been severely restricted.

The protesters chanted demands for "bread, work and freedom", carrying a banner reading "August 15 is a black day" - a reference to the day the Taliban captured Kabul in 2021.

"They didn't beat us much this time," one of the protesters told the BBC.

"They acted differently than earlier protests [when we were beaten]. They fired shots in the air. Though we're afraid we came out to advocate for the rights of girls, so that at least the Taliban will open schools for them."

In the year since the Taliban returned to power, they have issued various orders restricting the freedom of women - barring them from most government jobs, secondary education and from travelling more than 45 miles (70km) without a male guardian.

In May, the militants decreed that Afghan women will have to wear the Islamic face veil for the first time in decades.

If a woman refuses to comply, her male guardians could be sent to jail for three days - although this is not always enforced.

There have been minor sporadic protests over the past year, but any form of dissent is being crushed.

Afghanistan is the only country in the world that officially limits education by gender - a major sticking point in the Taliban's attempts to gain international legitimacy.

Girls have been banned from receiving secondary education, the ministry for women's affairs has been disbanded, and in many cases women have not been allowed to work.

BBC

 

[sweep_shot]

Are Talibans not allowing women education? That's odd (if true).

Women education is not haram. There's no reason to stop it.

 

[dildilpak]

Are Talibans not allowing women education? That's odd (if true).

Women education is not haram. There's no reason to stop it.

What about women working? Whats the point of allowing education in women if they are not allowed to contribute to the economy?

 

[Champ_Pal]

What about women working? Whats the point of allowing education in women if they are not allowed to contribute to the economy?

Working outside will create uncomfortable situations for men and women who are not related.

 

[sweep_shot]

What about women working? Whats the point of allowing education in women if they are not allowed to contribute to the economy?

I am not aware of any explicit Islamic prohibition regarding women working. They can work provided they are not violating any Islamic boundary (for example, not wearing hijab).

If Talibans are preventing women from working, that's not right.

 

[Champ_Pal]

I am not aware of any explicit Islamic prohibition regarding women working. They can work provided they are not violating any Islamic boundary (for example, not wearing hijab).

If Talibans are preventing women from working, that's not right.

What is the ruling on working with unrelated men?

 

[sweep_shot]

What is the ruling on working with unrelated men?

I hope this answers your questions:

In this fatwa:

It is permissible for a woman to work outside the home as long as the regulations set by the Islamic Shariah in this regard are observed. Here are the regulations of women’s work in Islam:

1- A woman should wear hijab and cover herself with loose clothing.

2- A woman should not be a source of temptation while going out to work, nor should she mingle with men lawful for her to marry.

3- A woman should be engaged in a kind of work that suits her physiological nature, and should get the permission of her legal guardian or husband to work outside the home.

4- A woman should make sure that her work would not result in any violation of the rights of her husband or children if she is married.

Source: https://aboutislam.net/counseling/a...are-the-rules-regarding-womens-work-in-islam/.

 

[MenInG]

Afghanistan’s former president Hamid Karzai has said his own daughter is on the brink of being shut out of school because of Taliban curbs on educating girls.

Mr Karzai told German broadcaster DW that his daughter Malala, 10, was about to finish sixth grade in Kabul and would be barred from going any further as things stand.

The Taliban, who seized power a year ago on Monday, defied international pressure and closed secondary schools to girls last September, and a plan to reopen them in March was abruptly abandoned.

Marking the anniversary, Sima Bahous, executive director for UN Women, said Afghan females had suffered a “daily and continuous deterioration” in their position since the Taliban took power and reintroduced harsh restrictions.

Asked whether he would send his daughter to school abroad, Mr Karzai, the president from 2002 to 2014, said he had not given up on restoring education rights in Afghanistan.

“That is exactly the question before me and before hundreds of thousands of other Afghan families and parents,” he said. “What do we do when our daughters reach the age to go to middle school or secondary school?

“Leaving the country means abandoning the country. So, we have to do all we can to fight for the right of our children or of our daughters to educate. We wouldn't give up on that.”

Mr Karzai called on his compatriots to “get together as Afghans, all of us, the Taliban and the rest of the country” to restore the right to education for older girls.

“If Afghanistan is a country lost for women, that will also mean Afghanistan lost itself,” he said. "We shall never allow that.

In her statement, Ms Bahous described Afghanistan as the only country in the world where girls are banned from secondary school and said the Taliban were pursuing "meticulously constructed policies of inequality".

A "deliberate slew of measures of discrimination against Afghanistan’s women and girls is ... a terrible act of self-sabotage for a country experiencing huge challenges", she said. "The exclusion of women from all aspects of life robs the people of Afghanistan of half their talent and energies."

Mr Karzai said he himself had stayed in Afghanistan when others fled because “you don’t leave your home when things become difficult”, but denied the suggestion that he was a prisoner of the Taliban.

He said the Taliban have provided a security escort when he moves around Kabul, although he said he had not yet put the extent of their co-operation to the test by attempting to leave the capital.

Ashraf Ghani, the president who succeeded Mr Karzai, fled Afghanistan when his western-backed government was toppled by the Taliban.

https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/worl...sedgntp&cvid=68a1b911fbdd44d79c932bbb87dc7562

 

[MenInG]

The United Nations urged the Taliban on Sunday to reopen high schools for girls across Afghanistan, condemning the ban that began exactly a year ago as "tragic and shameful".

Weeks after the Taliban seized power in August last year, theTaliban reopened high schools for boys on September 18, 2021, but banned secondary schoolgirls from attending classes.

Months later on March 23, the education ministry opened secondary schools for girls, but within hours the Taliban leadership ordered classes to be shut again.

Since then more than a million teenage girls have been deprived of education across the country, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said.

"This is a tragic, shameful, and entirely avoidable anniversary," said Markus Potzel, the acting head of UNAMA in a statement.

"It is profoundly damaging to a generation of girls and to the future of Afghanistan itself," he said, adding the ban had no parallel in the world.

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged the Taliban to revoke the ban.

"A year of lost knowledge and opportunity that they will never get back," Guterres said on Twitter.

"Girls belong in school. The Taliban must let them back in."

Several Taliban officials say the ban is only temporary, but they have also wheeled out a litany of excuses for the closures -- from a lack of funds to time needed to remodel the syllabus along Islamic lines.

Earlier this month, the education minister was quoted by local media as saying it was a cultural issue, as many rural people did not want their daughters to attend school.

After seizing power on August 15 last year amid a chaotic withdrawal of foreign forces, the Taliban promised a softer version of their harsh regime that ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001.

But within days they began imposing severe restrictions on girls and women to comply with their austere vision of Islam -- effectively squeezing them out of public life.

Apart from closing high schools for girls, the Taliban have barred women from many government jobs and also ordered them to cover up in public, preferably with an all-encompassing burqa.

Some high schools for girls have remained open in provinces away from the central power bases of Kabul and Kandahar because of pressure from families and tribal leaders.

Express Tribune

 

[sweep_shot]

Schools should be opened if those are still closed.

There is no ruling in Islam that talks about banning school.

Again, I am assuming these stories are true and not false propagandas.

 

[MenInG]

Taliban ban women from parks and funfairs in Afghan capital

The Taliban have banned Afghan women from entering the capital’s public parks and funfairs, just months after ordering access to be segregated by gender.

The new rule, introduced this week, further squeezes women out of an ever-shrinking public space. They are already banned from travelling without a male escort and forced to wear a hijab or burqa whenever out of the home. Secondary schools for girls have also been shut for over a year across most of the country.

“For the past 15 months, we tried our best to arrange and sort it out – and even specified the days,” said Mohammad Akif Sadeq Mohajir, spokesperson for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue. “But still, in some places – in fact, we must say in many places – the rules were violated,” he told AFP.

“There was mixing [of men and women], hijab was not observed, that’s why the decision has been taken for now.”

The news was met with dismay by women and park operators – who have invested heavily in developing the facilities.

“There are no schools, no work … we should at least have a place to have fun,” said one ewoman, who asked to be identified only as Wahida, as she watched her children play in a park through the window of an adjoining restaurant. “We are just bored and fed-up with being at home all day, our minds are tired,” she told AFP.

At the next table, Raihana, 21, who is studying Islamic law at university, shared her disappointment after arriving at the park to spend the day with her sisters. “We were very excited … we are tired of staying at home,” she said. “Obviously, in Islam, it is allowed to go out and visit parks. When you have no freedom in your own country, then what does it mean to live here?”

A few miles away, the ferris wheel and most of the other rides in Zazai Park, which offers a spectacular view of Kabul, have ground to a sudden halt because of a lack of business.

Before this week’s ban, it could accommodate hundreds of visitors on days when women brought their children for family gatherings. On Fridays and public holidays, even more people would flock to the park – one of the few attractions in the city.

On Wednesday, only a handful of men wandered nonchalantly through the complex.

Habib Jan Zazai, co-developer of the complex, fears he may have to close down a business into which he has poured $11m, and which employs more than 250 people. “Without women, the children will not come alone,” he said.

He feared such edicts would discourage investment by foreigners or Afghans living abroad, as well as effect revenue collection. “A government is run by taxes. If an investor is not paying tax, then how can they run?”

Mohammad Tamim, 20, sipping tea in the park during a visit from Kandahar, where he teaches at a madrassa, called the ban “bad news”.

“Every human psychologically needs to be entertained,” he said. “Muslims need to be entertained – especially after 20 years of war.”

Guardian

 

[Champ_Pal]

I hope this answers your questions:



Source: https://aboutislam.net/counseling/a...are-the-rules-regarding-womens-work-in-islam/.

All of the points can mean anything. If she should not be a source of physical temptation or her work shoud not result in violation of husband, it could mean anything. Who is going to judge what causes the violation or temptation?
You are putting all the onus on women so that her wittle husband's ego is not hurt.

Why would any sane woman want to be under Taliban's barbaric rule and get suffocated by extreme laws? I bet, given an opportunity, they will escape Afghanistan in a heartbeat.

 

[90MPH]

I just can’t stand the Taliban.

They are ideologically such a backward thinking organisation and really gives Islam a bad name.

What on earth does banning women from parks achieve ? Banning them from school wasn’t good enough I guess.

 

[Champ_Pal]

I just can’t stand the Taliban.

They are ideologically such a backward thinking organisation and really gives Islam a bad name.

What on earth does banning women from parks achieve ? Banning them from school wasn’t good enough I guess.

Banning women from Parks and shopping areas means no chance for road side romeos to have a chance with any woman. Because if they did, it can lead to premarital stuff.

 

[90MPH]

Banning women from Parks and shopping areas means no chance for road side romeos to have a chance with any woman. Because if they did, it can lead to premarital stuff.

When you have a extreme organisation like the Taliban in power that is unlikely or very rarely likely to happen anyway.

It’s all about curtailing women’s freedoms and feeding their supporters that they are doing something while in power. Their main objective is to stay in power for a very long time. And this is one way to do it.

 

[sweep_shot]

Is Taliban really banning women from parks or is it a western propaganda?

If it is true, very odd indeed.

Taliban shouldn't go overboard.

 

[SalimBhai]

Why do I think it’s below to taliban to do that?

 

[ex-q-zit]

Taliban's treatment of women may be crime against humanity: UN experts

GENEVA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The Taliban's treatment of Afghan women and girls, including their exclusion from parks and gyms as well as schools and universities, may amount to a crime against humanity, a group of U.N. experts said on Friday.

The assessment by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan Richard Bennett and nine other U.N. experts says the treatment of women and girls may amount to "gender persecution" under the Rome Statute to which Afghanistan is a party.

Responding to the assessment, Taliban Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said: "The current collective punishment of innocent Afghans by the U.N. sanctions regime all in the name of women rights and equality amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."

The U.N. experts said in a statement that women's confinement to their homes was "tantamount to imprisonment", adding that it was likely to lead to increased levels of domestic violence and mental health problems. The experts cited the arrest this month of female activist Zarifa Yaqobi and four male colleagues.

They remain in detention, the experts said.

The Taliban took over from a Western-backed government in August 2021. They say they respect women's rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law.

Western governments have said the Taliban needs to reverse its course on women's rights, including their U-turn on signals they would open girls' high schools, for any path towards formal recognition of the Taliban government.

Separately, a spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office called for the Taliban authorities to immediately halt the use of public floggings in Afghanistan.

Ravina Shamdasani said the office had documented numerous such incidents this month, including a woman and a man lashed 39 times each for spending time alone together outside of marriage.

Balkhi said the Taliban administration considered the statement by the United Nations and others by Western officials were "an insult towards Islam and violation of international principals."

Reuters

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is the Taliban brutally lashing a woman in Takhar province for going to the shop without a male guardian.<br><br>The women of Afghanistan are experiencing hell on earth under Taliban regime. We mustn’t turn a blind eye.<br> <a href="https://t.co/gl0MQeBWXg">pic.twitter.com/gl0MQeBWXg</a></p>— Shabnam Nasimi (@NasimiShabnam) <a href="https://twitter.com/NasimiShabnam/status/1598324324225662978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

The Taliban has banned women from universities in Afghanistan, sparking international condemnation and despair among young people in the country.

The higher education minister made the announcement on Tuesday, saying it would take immediate effect.

The ban further restricts women's education - girls have already been excluded from secondary schools since the Taliban returned last year.

In Kabul, female students have told the BBC about their anguish.

"They destroyed the only bridge that could connect me with my future," one Kabul University student said.

"How can I react? I believed that I could study and change my future or bring the light to my life but they destroyed it."

The US on Tuesday roundly condemned the Taliban's actions "in the strongest terms" and said such a move "will come with consequences for the Taliban".

"The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all in Afghanistan," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.

"No country can thrive when half of its population is held back."

Western countries have demanded all year that the Taliban improve female education if they wish to be formally recognised as Afghanistan's government.

The United Nations also said it was "deeply concerned".

"Education is a fundamental human right. A door closed to women's education is a door closed to the future of Afghanistan," said Ramiz Alakbarov, UN chief's deputy special representative for Afghanistan.

The Taliban's leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and his inner circle have been against modern education - particularly for girls and women.

The Taliban had promised a softer rule after seizing power last year following the US' withdrawal from the country. However the hardline Islamists have continued to roll back women's rights and freedoms in the country.

The ban on tertiary education follows rules set last month, where women were banned from parks, gyms and public baths in the capital.

Tightening rules
Just three months ago, the Taliban had allowed thousands of girls and women to sit university entrance exams in most provinces across the country.

But there were sweeping restrictions on the subjects they could apply for, with engineering, economics, veterinary science and agriculture blocked and journalism severely restricted.

Under Taliban rule, universities had already been operating under discriminatory rules for women - with gender segregated entrances to campuses and separate classrooms.

Female students could only be taught by women professors or old men.

One woman told the BBC about how there were "too many difficulties" just trying to continue her education after the Taliban takeover.

She said: "We fought with our brothers, with our fathers, with society and even with the government.

"We went through a hard situation just to be able to continue our education.

"At that time at least I was happy that I could graduate from university and achieve my dreams. But, now how can I convince myself?"

Afghanistan's economy has been largely dependent on foreign aid in recent decades, but aid agencies have partly - and in some cases fully - withdrawn support to the education sector after the Taliban refused to allow girls into secondary schools.

There was an exodus of trained academics after the withdrawal of US-led forces, and this year many teaching staff have gone unpaid for months.

In March, the Taliban had promised to re-open some high schools for girls but then cancelled the move on the day they were due to return - citing funding and syllabus issues which rights groups said were excuses.

There has been speculation for over a month now that the Taliban government would ban university education for women.

One female student predicted it a few weeks ago. "One day we will wake up and they will say girls are banned from universities," she had said.

And so, while many Afghans might have expected that sooner or later this decision would be taken, it still comes as a shock.

Last month women were barred from parks, gyms and swimming pools. In March this year, the Taliban government did not deliver on its commitment to open secondary schools for girls.

From conversations with Taliban leaders over the past year, it is evident that there is disagreement within the Taliban on the issue of girls' education.

Off the record, some Taliban members have repeatedly said they are hopeful and working to try and ensure girls get an education.

Girls were allowed to sit for graduation exams for secondary schools two weeks ago, in 31 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, even though they haven't been allowed to be in school for more than a year.

That provided a glimmer of hope, which has now been extinguished.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetAfghanGirlsLearn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetAfghanGirlsLearn</a> &#55357;&#56911;&#55357;&#56911;&#55357;&#56911; <a href="https://t.co/KdEK4MXACF">pic.twitter.com/KdEK4MXACF</a></p>— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashidkhan_19/status/1605453787262423041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Taliban may lock all the classrooms and university gates in the country — but they can never lock up women's minds. They cannot stop girls from seeking knowledge. They cannot kill the quest to learn. <a href="https://t.co/N6qR0yzMgO">https://t.co/N6qR0yzMgO</a></p>— Malala (@Malala) <a href="https://twitter.com/Malala/status/1605604717064704002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[JaDed]

I remember when even sane progressive posters an year ago were defending Taliban and were posting articles.

 

[sweep_shot]

I remember when even sane progressive posters an year ago were defending Taliban and were posting articles.

What are you implying here?

Which "progressive" posters?

 

[saeedhk]

It is awful to see quite a lot of Pakistanis praising Taliban’s latest ban on university education on social media. On FB and Insta, there are at least 3 out of 10 comments praising the act. No wonder Pakistan he the highest number of out of school girls.

 

[JaDed]

What are you implying here?

Which "progressive" posters?

My implication is Taliban ended up being a nightmare as expected for women , there were posters posting articles before on how Taliban is changed etc..

 

[MenInG]

The Taliban have arrested five women taking part in a protest in the Afghan capital, Kabul, against the ban on women attending universities.

Three journalists were also arrested. Protests are also understood to have taken place in the Takhar province.

Guards stopped hundreds of women from entering universities on Wednesday - a day after the ban was announced.

It is the latest policy restricting women's education since the Taliban returned to power last year.

Girls have already been excluded from secondary schools.

The new ban was implemented with immediate effect by the higher education minister on Tuesday, with public and private universities ordered to bar women from attending.

The education ministry said its scholars had evaluated the university curriculum and environment, and attendance for girls would be suspended "until a suitable environment" was provided.

Footage shared on social media on Thursday showed around two dozen Afghan women dressed in hijabs marching through the streets of Kabul, raising banners and shouting slogans.

The group had initially planned to gather in front of Kabul University, the country's largest and most prestigious educational institution, but changed location after the authorities deployed a large number of security personnel there.

A protester at the rally said "some of the girls" had been arrested by women police officers. Two were released, but several remained in custody, she added.

Some men have responded with acts of civil disobedience in solidarity with the protesters. Around 50 male university professors at public and private institutions have resigned their positions while some male students have reportedly refused to sit their exams.

The Taliban had promised a softer rule after seizing power in August 2021 following the US withdrawal from the country. However the hardline Islamists have continued to roll back women's rights and freedoms in the country.

Women-led protests have become increasingly rare in Afghanistan since their return. Participants risk arrest, violence and social stigma for taking part.

Prior to Tuesday's announcement, universities had already been operating under discriminatory rules for women.

There were gender segregated entrances and classrooms, and female students could only be taught by women professors or old men.

However, women were still getting education.

The UN's education and culture organisation, Unesco, says that the rate of female attendance in higher education increased 20 times between 2001 - the year the Taliban were ousted by the US intervention - and 2018.

BBC

 

[sweep_shot]

I was looking for the specific reason why Taliban banned women's university education. Found it:

Afghanistan’s Taliban-run administration announced earlier this week it had closed universities to women partly due to female students not adhering to its interpretation of the Islamic dress code and interaction between students of different genders.

Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...niversities-to-women-as-global-backlash-grows.

This issue can be resolved with online courses or female teachers. Taliban is definitely going a bit overboard here.

 

[Bewal Express]

These losers have no concept of developing all sections of society. They send their own daughters to schools in PK and other places but the daughters of the poor are left to intellectually rot in their utopia.

 

[Champ_Pal]

I was looking for the specific reason why Taliban banned women's university education. Found it:



Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...niversities-to-women-as-global-backlash-grows.

This issue can be resolved with online courses or female teachers. Taliban is definitely going a bit overboard here.

It is up to men's discretion as to what a woman does and where she goes. If the female students are not following proper dress code, then Taliban are not wrong in stopping female education according to their own religion.

Online courses will not be possible in a country where internet is not widely available. Female teachers will also face the same problem as female students with regards to dress code.

 

[SalimBhai]

How will you do online courses when when there is no internet or people dont have computers at home.

 

[Sidilicious]

How will you do online courses when when there is no internet or people dont have computers at home.

And then what will they do with the knowledge if they can't go out and work and make that knowledge to good use?

 

[90MPH]

The Taliban literally want to take Afghanistan back to the stone ages.

Probably the most backward organisation in terms of governance in the whole world.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

I was looking for the specific reason why Taliban banned women's university education. Found it:



Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...niversities-to-women-as-global-backlash-grows.

This issue can be resolved with online courses or female teachers. Taliban is definitely going a bit overboard here.

Are you essentially saying : “I don’t strongly agree with it but I totally get why they are doing it”?

 

[sweep_shot]

Are you essentially saying : “I don’t strongly agree with it but I totally get why they are doing it”?

Nope.

I was trying to understand their logic/rationale.

Banning women education has nothing to do with Islam as Islam doesn't prohibit female education.

 

[sweep_shot]

And then what will they do with the knowledge if they can't go out and work and make that knowledge to good use?

They can learn for fun too. Not every learning has to be applied.

For example, liberal art degree. What can you do with it? Absolutely nothing. But, some people still go for it.

But, yeah. It would be nice if Taliban can offer practical solutions (practical education and relevant jobs for the ladies). Shunning females like this is counterproductive.

 

[MenInG]

G7 foreign ministers on Thursday called on the Taliban to “urgently reverse” a ban on women working in Afghanistan’s aid sector.

The ban is the latest blow against women’s rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban reclaimed power last year.

The Taliban also barred women from attending universities earlier this month, prompting global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities.

The G7 ministers along with those of Australia, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and the Netherlands said in a joint statement they were “gravely concerned that the Taliban’s reckless and dangerous order… puts at risk millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance for their survival”.

AFP

 

[MenInG]

A top UN official believes progress is being made towards reversing bans on women taking part in public life in Afghanistan.

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has been in Kabul for a four-day visit to urge the Taliban to reconsider.

Last month, the country's Islamist rulers banned all women from working for non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The move caused several aid agencies to suspended operations.

Speaking to the BBC at the end of her trip, Ms Mohammed said most senior Taliban officials she met had been ready to engage over the rights of girls and women.

However, she described the talks as tough and cautioned that it would be a very long journey before the leadership took the fundamental steps required for international recognition of their rule.

"I think there are many voices we heard, which are progressive in the way that we would like to go," Ms Mohammed said. "But there are others that really are not."

"I think the pressure we put in the support we give to those that are thinking more progressively is a good thing. So this visit, I think, gives them more voice and pressure to help the argument internally."

Ms Mohammed also criticised the international community, including other Islamic states, for not doing enough to engage on the issue.

BBC

 

[SalimBhai]

I thought there was no compulsion in Islam why force women what to wear ?

 

[MenInG]

Afghanistan universities reopened today after the winter break, but only men returned to the institutions, with the Taliban's ban on women in higher education still in place, as per a report in Al-Jazeera.

The decision to ban women from educational institutes was announced by the Taliban officials in December and it drew widespread condemnation from foreign governments and the United Nations.

"You all are informed to immediately implement the mentioned order of suspending education of females until further notice," Minister for Higher Education Neda Mohammad Nadeem said in a letter issued to all government and private universities last year.

The Taliban officials were also asked to "immediately" withdraw the choice by the UN mission in Afghanistan. However, nothing fruitful was achieved out of it.

The Taliban enforced the restriction, claiming that female students disregarded a stringent dress code and a necessity to be accompanied to and from university campus by a male relative. The majority of colleges and universities had already implemented gender-specific entrances, classrooms and policies permitting only older men or women professors to teach female students, according to the outlet.

As per the report in Al-Jazeera, Taliban officials have cited a number of reasons for the closure, ranging from a lack of funds to the time required to redesign the curriculum in accordance with Islamic principles. Citing Taliban members, news agency AFP said that the Islamic experts and scholars who counsel Afghanistan's supreme leader Haibatullah Akhunzada are "deeply skeptical" of modern education for women.

The university ban is one of many restrictions placed on women since the Taliban regime retook control in August 2021. Women in the country have also been banned from going to parks, gyms, fairs and must cover themselves in public. Many have also been removed from their government jobs.

NDTV

 

[Champ_Pal]

If woman are banned from getting higher education, who is going to treat women’s issues? Who will deliver the babies and who will be their gynecologist? They will not let male doctors treat female patients.

 

[daytrader]

International Women’s Day is a day of grief for Afghans: ‘We have become the walking dead’

Sharifa Ahmadi is spending International Women’s Day like so many others, in a windowless room in a hostel in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Ahmadi, 28, a former Afghan police officer, sometimes goes to sleep hungry. Sometimes she finds a leftover burger from the garbage dump and eats it out of desperation.

Before August 2021, Ahmadi (the Star is not using her real name) was part of the police’s special forces, who were supported by hundreds of millions of dollars from NATO and the West. Ahmadi was a member for three years until the return of the Taliban that month and participated in several military operations to defend Kabul from attack.

For Ahmadi, joining the police was a childhood dream, but now she is suffering for it.

“After the Taliban took over, inside the country, I was deprived of the opportunity to breathe, and outside of Afghanistan the situation is suffocating,” Ahmadi told the Star, speaking in Persian from Pakistan’s capital.

Ahmadi is one of the thousands of women who joined the security forces after the fall of the Taliban’s first regime in 2001, but 2021 changed everything and now the majority of them are worse off than ever after fleeing to Pakistan and Iran.

Wednesday is International Women’s day. Ahmadi, who suffers from depression, said that with everything in life taken away, the day has lost meaning for her. “When I don’t have a job, when I don’t have my country, when I don’t have a future, remembering March 8 is useless.

“We women have now become the walking dead.”

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Ahmadi looks back on her former work and battles with the Taliban with sadness. “Remembering the recent past of my life destroys me. What were we and what have we become?”

The international community, which helped Ahmadi fulfil her childhood dream, “has turned its back” on the women of Afghanistan, she said.

...
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/...-afghans-we-have-become-the-walking-dead.html

 

[MenInG]

The founder of a project that campaigned for girls’ education in Afghanistan has been detained by Taliban authorities in Kabul, his brother and the United Nations said Tuesday.

The Taliban government last year barred girls from attending secondary school, making Afghanistan the only country in the world where there is a ban on education.

“Matiullah Wesa, head of PenPath and advocate for girls’ education, was arrested in Kabul Monday,” the UN mission in Afghanistan tweeted.

 

[Firebat]

The founder of a project that campaigned for girls’ education in Afghanistan has been detained by Taliban authorities in Kabul, his brother and the United Nations said Tuesday.

The Taliban government last year barred girls from attending secondary school, making Afghanistan the only country in the world where there is a ban on education.

“Matiullah Wesa, head of PenPath and advocate for girls’ education, was arrested in Kabul Monday,” the UN mission in Afghanistan tweeted.

Afghanistan: Girls' education activist arrested by Taliban

A prominent Afghan campaigner for female education has been arrested by the Taliban, even as teenage girls and women remain barred from classrooms.

Matiullah Wesa, 30, had often received threats - he has spent years travelling across Afghanistan trying to improve access to education for all children.

The Taliban did not say why Mr Wesa is in custody. His house was also raided.

His arrest follows the detention of a number of other activists who have been campaigning for women's education.

In February Prof Ismail Mashal, an outspoken critic of the Taliban government's ban on education for women, was arrested in Kabul while handing out free books. He was freed on 5 March but has not spoken out since then.

Mr Wesa is one of the most prominent education activists in Afghanistan and, via his charity PenPath, has been campaigning for girls' right to study since the Taliban barred female education in 2021.

His last tweet - on Monday, the day of his arrest - was a photo of women volunteers for PenPath "asking for the Islamic rights to education for their daughters".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65095663