Taliban's Relegation Of Women To Home Violates Islamic Principles Of Equality And Women Empowerment

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 26 March 2024 1.4 Million Girls Of Afghanistan Were Barred From Schools For Third Consecutive Year Main Points: 1. Taliban has banned women's education beyond sixth grade. 2. Many girls have become depressed and suicidal. 3. They barred women from working in international NGOs. 1. 4.Taliban banned women boutiques and beauty salons. 4. The women have been barred from working in government and private organisations. ------ (File Photo) ----- For the third consecutive year, the Taliban have barred girls of Afghanistan from attending schools and universities. They have banned girls' education from seventh grade.1.4 million Afghan girls have been forced to abandon their studies due to the tribal mentality of Taliban's highest leadership. When they had come to power in August 2021, they had promised to honour the educational, economic and social rights of women but the more conservative lobby of Taliban became dominant in its decision making process. This led to gradual relegation of women from Afghan society to their homes. It is said that Hebatullah Akhundzada, the head of Taliban has a tribal and conservative mindset and opposes the involvement of women in social, economic and educational development of the country. During the last three years, women have been gradually removed from every walk of life. They were barred from working in government offices. Then they were removed from media outlets. They were banned from running fashion stores, boutiques and beauty salons. They were even barred from working in local and foreign NGOs as health professionals. The Taliban elaborated that the female employees of the NGOs did not wear proper hijab. This led to the ban. In June 2023, the Taliban banned music either in weddings or in funerals. They issued orders to wedding hall owners prohibiting the use of music in weddings. They argued that music played in weddings contradicted Islamic rulings. Earlier in April 2023, the Taliban shut down Afghanistan's only women run radio station called Sada-e-Banowan ( Voice of Women). The radio was started ten years ago. The Taliban said that the radio station was shut down because it played music. Station head Najia Sarosh denied having played music. Perhaps, the Taliban did not approve of even background music or jingles. A prominent Taliban leader and Interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, however, does not agree with the Taliban's radical ideas about women but the problem is that the Taliban leadership is dominated by conservative ideologues who follow Afghan tribal tradition which prohibits allowing girls above 12 years to go out and mix with men. This is in stark contrast with the Quran and hadiths that allow women to acquire education and work in different departments as professionals while maintaining their modesty. The Quran has already outlined principles and rules for the participation of women in business and social activities. Islam does not enforce total seclusion of women from social and political activities. The United Nations had expressed deep concern over total isolation of Afghan women by the Taliban government on International Women's Day. Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said she had few comforting messages to share with Afghan women and girls on International Women’s Day, noting that, although Afghanistan needs human capital to recover from the war, half of its doctors, scientists and journalists find themselves shut as women in their homes, with their dreams crushed and talent confiscated. “We understand that the Taliban have a highly different worldview than any other Government, but it is difficult to understand how any Government worthy of the name can govern against the needs of half of its population.” Amid a catastrophic humanitarian situation, in which two thirds of Afghanistan’s population — 28 million people — need humanitarian assistance to survive, and 20 million people are experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity, necessitating funding of $4.62 billion — the single largest country appeal ever — access and security constraints, including the bans on women working in non-governmental organizations, make it difficult to reach those in desperate need. Prior to these restrictions, in 2022, the United Nations and its partners were able to reach 26.1 million people, she said, noting that the situation had compelled humanitarian workers to make uncomfortable compromises to save Afghan lives. “The absurdity of this situation requires no comment, she added. With the growing hold of Taliban on power, there is no hope of women's empowerment in the country. In August 2023, they banned political parties to throttle dissenting voices. They argued that political parties were against Islamic laws and that there was no basis for political parties in an Islamic country. To them, political parties did not serve any national interests. Two years ago, more than 70 political parties were registered in Afghanistan in anticipation of participation of political parties in the political process of the country. The secular political lobby that ruled Afghanistan for twenty years has suddenly disappeared from the political scene and there is no opposition in the country. In this situation, girls and women have no hope of returning to their social and educational workplaces. The talent that is latent in the women has been forced to be suffocated in the confines of their homes. Writers, artists, sportswomen, journalists, fashion designers, doctors, professors, teachers and aspiring professionals have been pushed behind the walls of their homes. Those who are rich manage to leave Afghanistan and settle in Europe but the majority of the women are forced to live a life of utter despair and suffer from frustration and suicidal tendencies. 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