In Kabul, girls as young as 16 have been apprehended for violating the Taliban‘s stringent hijab regulations. These young girls were taken into custody in various public places, including shopping centers, educational institutions, and street markets, for allegedly promoting and encouraging the wearing of ‘bad hijab’ and using makeup.
As per a Guardian report, Lale (name changed to protect her identity), a 16-year-old girl, recounted her arrest during an English language class.
She described how girls who resisted were beaten, and she herself was lashed on her feet and legs for attempting to reason with the Taliban. Her father was later severely beaten for “raising immoral girls.”
Lale was detained for two days and nights, during which the Taliban repeatedly denounced them as infidels for studying English and aspiring to go abroad.
She was released after community elders intervened, and she signed a document promising not to leave her home without a head-covering. Consequently, she has been barred from attending her English classes, the Guardian report said.
Lale expressed her despair, saying, “I was barred from school when the Taliban took over in 2021, and now I cannot even go to my private classes.” She added, “I can no longer imagine anything for my future other than staying home and getting married.”
Fereshta Abbasi, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, commented on the situation, saying, “The arrests of women in Afghanistan are a further crackdown on the basic rights of women and can be intimidating and put more pressure even on women who are still working in the health, primary education, and nutrition sectors, and they would not appear in public as they used to.”
In a video shared on social media on Wednesday, Ehsanullah Saqib, a Taliban security official, addressed a group of religious scholars in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood. He revealed that “we have detained a number of women and girls who were without hijab, with the help of women police” over the past week.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, they have enforced a rigid interpretation of Islamic law, significantly impacting women. The United Nations has criticized these laws as “gender apartheid.” Under these regulations, women have been largely excluded from public life, required to have a male relative accompany them during travel, and mandated to cover all but their hands and eyes when outside. Despite these rules, it’s not uncommon to see women in Kabul who do not cover their mouths.
Ehsanullah, in his speech captured in the video shared by Khaama Press and Amu TV, said that the women and girls were apprehended for being “totally without hijab,” and for wearing trousers, leggings, and dresses instead of fully covering garments.
He explained the rationale behind these arrests: “They were arrested to inform their families that their sister, daughter or wife roams without hijab and they should prevent this.”
(With inputs from agencies)
As per a Guardian report, Lale (name changed to protect her identity), a 16-year-old girl, recounted her arrest during an English language class.
She described how girls who resisted were beaten, and she herself was lashed on her feet and legs for attempting to reason with the Taliban. Her father was later severely beaten for “raising immoral girls.”
Lale was detained for two days and nights, during which the Taliban repeatedly denounced them as infidels for studying English and aspiring to go abroad.
She was released after community elders intervened, and she signed a document promising not to leave her home without a head-covering. Consequently, she has been barred from attending her English classes, the Guardian report said.
Lale expressed her despair, saying, “I was barred from school when the Taliban took over in 2021, and now I cannot even go to my private classes.” She added, “I can no longer imagine anything for my future other than staying home and getting married.”
Fereshta Abbasi, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, commented on the situation, saying, “The arrests of women in Afghanistan are a further crackdown on the basic rights of women and can be intimidating and put more pressure even on women who are still working in the health, primary education, and nutrition sectors, and they would not appear in public as they used to.”
In a video shared on social media on Wednesday, Ehsanullah Saqib, a Taliban security official, addressed a group of religious scholars in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood. He revealed that “we have detained a number of women and girls who were without hijab, with the help of women police” over the past week.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, they have enforced a rigid interpretation of Islamic law, significantly impacting women. The United Nations has criticized these laws as “gender apartheid.” Under these regulations, women have been largely excluded from public life, required to have a male relative accompany them during travel, and mandated to cover all but their hands and eyes when outside. Despite these rules, it’s not uncommon to see women in Kabul who do not cover their mouths.
Ehsanullah, in his speech captured in the video shared by Khaama Press and Amu TV, said that the women and girls were apprehended for being “totally without hijab,” and for wearing trousers, leggings, and dresses instead of fully covering garments.
He explained the rationale behind these arrests: “They were arrested to inform their families that their sister, daughter or wife roams without hijab and they should prevent this.”
(With inputs from agencies)