Taliban are internationally notorious for their misogynistic statements. The Taliban world knows is cruel, brutal and misogynist. However, the recent circumstances and statements narrate a different story. As soon as the Taliban took control over Kabul, women fear the darkest future. Their fear is legit because history clearly portrays women rights in Afghanistan during the Taliban reign. Here, I’ll show you a comparison of the change in the mentality of the Taliban within a period of two decades. So, read the whole article to know about women rights in Afghanistan.
Before 2001 | Role of Women in Afghanistan
Before 2001, when the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, women had a different status. They also had banned almost all of the social activities of women. The daily life of an Afghan woman was way different than it is today. They majorly focused on “Purdah” which is a part of Islamic Sharia and laws. However, when it comes to difficulties, one of the major problems was a ban on women education. After the age of eight, they didn’t allow women to seek education. They were only allowed to practice Quran.
They didn’t allow women to leave their own house without a Mahram. Moreover, they restricted the women from wearing high heels too. Radio, television, media, and big gatherings didn’t include females. Around 80% of marriages were done forcefully in the state. A lot more can be mentioned about the misogynist behaviour of the Taliban back then.
Why Does the Taliban Restrict Women’s Education
As soon as the US troop’s withdrawal was to take place, the risk to girls education was ultimately increasing. The question that comes to mind is, “Why did the Taliban ban education?” The answer to this doesn’t exist. Although Islam straight away guides all human beings to seek education regardless of gender. However, the Taliban ordering women not to get themselves educated is something they are notorious for, on a global level.
Taliban have captured Afghanistan! What will be the fate of its neighbouring countries? Read now!
Women’s Rights in Afghanistan 2021
Soon after the shocking seizure of Kabul, the Taliban gained power. They mentioned that they want peaceful relationships globally and won’t repeat misogynistic acts this time. Their first press conference has had the world in shock as it had the most unexpected outcome. They mentioned that they would “respect women rights in Afghanistan within the boundaries of Islam.” This statement is making rounds on social media platforms. Further, there won’t be any revenge, they explained.
Mujahid, the one speaking mentioned the significant role of women in Afghan society. He told that they won’t forbid any women to work. However, every act will be within the norms of Islamic laws. Here, “will” refers to women.
“Will be very active in society but within the framework of Islam”
While trying hard to calm nerves, the Taliban also urged the women to join the government. However, they are supposed to strictly follow Islamic laws.
“The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims,” Samangani mentioned while using the Taliban’s term for Afghanistan. “They should be in government structure according to Shariah law.”
Western society is against the Taliban’s decision of burqa. However, the majority of the states appreciate Afghan Taliban for changing their mindsets and allowing women to educate themselves. Moreover, some people think that Western people are not concerned with women’s education but all they worry about is the implementation of “‘Purdah.”
Conclusion
Mujahid mentioned that they would not ask the women to leave education anymore. Headscarves remain mandatory and no one has the choice to remove them. They also promised to honour women rights within the boundaries of Islamic laws. Their recent statement depicts that they are trying to make people aware of their ideology or maybe they’ve modernized within the Islamic norms.
However, things seem pretty clear as the Taliban today appears to be different than the Taliban world knew decades ago. Time will tell that whether the Taliban mean what they say or it was just to calm down the crowd. Hence, it will work out if “their words meet their deeds”. Do you think they would implement the above-mentioned statements? Share your valuable thoughts with us!
Why did the US blames Pakistan for the ongoing Afghan situation?
