Afghanistan’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue, one of the most powerful in the Taliban regime, announced Sunday that it will use security forces to prevent women from visiting one of the country’s most popular national parks.
The Ministry alleges that the women have not observed the proper way of wearing the ‘hijab’, or Islamic headscarf, when they went to Band-e-Amir, in the central province of Bamiyan.
This comes a week after Minister Mohammad Khalid Hanafi visited the province and told religious authorities and clerics that women were not wearing the hijab properly.
In fact, orders were given to the security team to prevent women from visiting this tourist spot.
“Tourism is not compulsory for women,” Hanafi said.
Ministry spokesman Molvi Mohammad Sadiq Akif on Saturday shared a report on Hanafi’s comments, which included guidance on using security forces, clergy and the elderly to enforce the ban.
A recording of the minister’s speech in Bamyan was shared on social media, according to Akif’s report.
“Not content with depriving girls and women of education, employment and free movement, the Taliban also want to take away parks, sports and now even nature, as we can see in this latest ban on women visiting Band -e-Amir,” responded Heather Barr, associate director for women’s rights at Human Rights Watch.
In a statement distributed by ’email’, the director affirms that “step by step, the walls are closing in on the women, each house becomes a prison”.
In November, the Taliban-led government banned women from using public spaces, including parks, on the grounds that they were not wearing the hijab correctly or not following gender segregation rules.
Since taking control of the country on August 15, 2021, following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, the Taliban have imposed various restrictions on Afghan youth and women, including a ban on girls attending school. beyond sixth grade.
Afghan women are also prohibited from working in non-governmental organizations and places.
These tough measures sparked strong international outrage, including from Muslim-majority countries.
Band-e-Amir is a major tourist attraction in Bamyan. It became the country’s first national park in 2009 and attracts thousands of visitors every year.
It is an important source of income for local residents, as well as tourism, restaurant, hotel and craft companies.
Source: TSF
