Women in Kabul Protest Against Mandatory Hijab

A number of women activists in Kabul protested against the Taliban’s new order regarding face covering for women and mandatory hijab. They chanted slogans such as “Afghan women are held captive by the Taliban” and called for the cancellation of this order.

A number of Afghan women activists held a demonstration in Kabul on Tuesday, May 10 (Ordibehesht 20). They protested against the Taliban’s new order to make face covering mandatory for Afghan women in public and to tighten restrictions, discrimination, and suppression of women in the country, with slogans including “Afghan women are held captive by the Taliban,” “Misogyny is a program, clothing is an excuse,” “Justice, justice, tired of captivity,” and “Death to this ignorance.”

The protesters called for the cancellation of this order and demanded work permission and social freedoms for women.

One of the demonstrators named Munzah Mubarez told the German news agency that Taliban forces surrounded the protesting crowd. According to another participant, a number of protesters were detained and released after approximately two hours.

A journalist present at the scene also told the German news agency that a group of journalists were briefly detained due to their coverage of the demonstrations.

Taliban’s New Order and International Reactions

On Saturday (Ordibehesht 17), the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced a new order regarding women’s hijab, stating that women must henceforth cover their faces in public and wear the burqa (face veil) in public spaces. Furthermore, women and girls are only permitted to leave their homes if necessary. Violations of this order will result in punishment for the women’s guardians.

The Taliban’s issuance of the new order on women’s full face covering has provoked significant anger and reactions in Afghanistan and the international community.

Amnestas International, in a statement issued for this occasion, called Afghan women “the bravest women” who “continue to fight to protect their hard-won human rights achievements.” Amnesty International added: “We must not forget them.”

On Monday (Ordibehesht 19), the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and the Executive Director of the UN Women’s section were among those who protested this order.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, called the Taliban’s recent order on women’s full face covering “unacceptable.” Referring to the “frightening message” that the Taliban sent to the international community with this order, she said: “Such actions redouble our commitment to supporting Afghan women in the future.”

Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also strongly condemned the Taliban’s latest order on mandatory burqa wearing in public and warned that the Taliban is pushing Afghanistan toward a humanitarian, economic, and human rights catastrophe.

With its recent order on women’s clothing, the Taliban is intensifying the process of discrimination and suppression against women, which it had previously begun with broad restrictions on women’s and girls’ work and education in Afghanistan.

Following the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s return to power, the Islamist group had promised not to reimpose the strict laws regarding women from its previous rule.

Source: DW