Western fashion disappeared from the streets, as well as virtually disappeared women. Instead, men in traditional long shirts and misshapen trousers dominate the streets of Kabul, and Islamic programs or statements by the head of the city are broadcast on state TV Taliban-Media channel “Voice of Sharia”. The past two decades are like obliterated, ihe hard-won women’s rights seem a long way off. The people in the Afghan capital are now trying to find a new normal.
With the return of the radical Islamic militia, the streetscape in Kabul changed radically overnight. Although the new rulers are moderate, announce a general amnesty for officials of the previous government and make promises women more rights than when she had previously ruled from 1996 to 2001. But many residents do not believe the promises – and therefore return to the everyday rules the the former Taliban reign of terror.
Laughing forbidden for women
The Taliban rule was based on one extremely rigid interpretation of Sharia law, Islamic law. Music, dancing, television, and other popular recreational activities such as flying kites were prohibited. Schools for girls were closed, and women were not allowed to work. They also had to wear the full-body burqa and were only allowed to leave the house when accompanied by a male family member. She was forbidden to speak or laugh out loud in public. Photographing and filming women was prohibited.
“We hid our books under our scarves,” said Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai. “Armed Taliban stood everywhere and told women they weren’t allowed to work, they weren’t allowed to go shopping and girls weren’t allowed to go to school.”
Compliance has been achieved by one Religious police monitored. For example, the moral police beat those in the street who broke the rules they had appointed. Other penalties for violating the law were often particularly gruesome. Women accused of adultery were stoned to death. Was thieves the Hand chopped off, there were public flogging.
Video: Political scientist and Afghanistan expert Thomas Schmidinger analyzes the situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban came to power.
Systematic oppression of women
According to reports from Afghan women activists and human rights organizations, the systematic repression of women and human rights violations by the Taliban are now increasing in the areas they control.
the Taliban want to enforce a very strict interpretation of Islamic law. This means a comprehensive brutal suppression of all areas of life and thus represents a massive danger for the Afghan population, especially for women.
Merchants in the capital of Kabul began over the weekend to paint over posters showing unveiled women or even to remove them from their shop windows. Because under the rule of the Taliban, showing unveiled women is strictly forbidden.
Women are already losing their jobs in cities overrun by Taliban insurgents. A few are demonstrating in front of the entrance to the Green Zone, where most of the embassies and international organizations are located women for their right to work there again as cooks or cleaners. A truck with Taliban-Fighters pulls up, in vain try these that women to scare away – they only give way at the request of civilians.
Taliban– Spokesman Suhail Shahin assured on Monday evening that women have nothing to fear in the future. “Your right to education is also protected,” he asserts. Reports from the provinces in which the radical Islamic fighters had long since taken control paint a different picture, however. Women’s universities have already been closed in the Taliban-controlled areas. In addition, women are said to have been abducted and enslaved.
According to reports on Twitter, the first female mayor of Afghanistan, Zarifa Ghafari, commented on the precarious situation: “I will wait here for you to come. There is no one here who can help me or my family. They come to kill me because of people like me. ”
