– This is bad news for women in Afghanistan, says Christian Berg Harpviken, Senior Research Fellow at the PRIO Peace Research Institute, to NRK.
The Taliban last imposed the burqa on the last rule of Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001. They are now introducing a mandate that women must cover their faces if outside the home, according to a statement issued by their supreme leader on Saturday, according to AFP. .
The Taliban’s decree on the headscarf was read out at a press conference held in Kabul today.
Photo: Ali Khara/Reuters
– This ban was very zealously enforced by the Taliban when they were in power in the past. This could mean we’ll see more decisions that limit women’s freedom of movement and participation in working life in the future, says Harpviken.
feeds the opposition
Kai Eide, a former diplomat and UN envoy to Afghanistan, was not surprised. He says this highlights the Taliban’s internal power struggle.
– Once again, it was the spiritual leader, conservative Mullah Haibatullah, who belongs to the powerful wing of the “Taliban village”, who settled an issue that was discussed in international forums several times.
The Taliban also has They had meetings in Norway Where women’s issues were discussed.
Kai Eide believes that the new restrictions in Afghanistan are feeding opposition forces.
Photo: Anders Tvegård / NRK
Eddy says many women voluntarily wear the burqa in Afghanistan, but calls for today’s Taliban announcement to cover the face «setback».
It is slipping in the wrong direction, Kai Eddy tells NRK, and the Taliban’s desire for international recognition becomes more and more divergent each time new austerity measures are taken.
Eide also believes that the new bases are feeding opposition forces in Afghanistan.
like a tent
Principal researcher Christian Berg Harpviken describes the burqa as a solid garment, one of the most powerful forms of coverage.
– It’s almost like a tent. A narrow strip is located above the head, with a tightly woven mesh in front of the eyes. Open to hands and feet only, it is a garment that completely conceals the identity of the person using it. In addition, it also greatly hinders mobility, he says.
Christian Berg Harpviken is a peace researcher at PRIO.
Photo: Nils Tore Hjørnevik / NRK
Haibatullah Akhundzadeh, the supreme leader of the Taliban, received a decree read out during a press conference in Kabul.
They should wear a chadori (hard burqa) because it is traditional and respectful, says Akhundzada in the statement.
prison risks
According to Reuters, the statement states that the woman’s father or next of kin will be visited and eventually imprisoned if the woman does not cover her face outside the home. In addition, they may lose their jobs, the news agency wrote.
The order, which was announced at a ceremony in Kabul, read: “Women who are not very old or young should cover their faces, except for their eyes, in accordance with the provisions of Sharia, to avoid provoking men who are not related.” On Saturday, NTB writes.
It also states that a woman who does not have significant work outside the home “should stay at home.”
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