A new restriction has been imposed on women’s right to travel in Afghanistan, where the radical Islamist Taliban seized power last year.
According to two officials who made a statement to Reuters, the instruction that women in Afghanistan should not be allowed to travel by plane without a male escort was sent to airline companies operating domestic and international flights.
It was reported that the said instruction was sent to the aircraft companies by the “Ministry of Spreading Virtue and Preventing Immorality”, which the Taliban established at the weekend to replace the Ministry of Women. According to the instruction, women who do not have a male companion and who have bought a plane ticket will be able to travel by plane until Monday. However, some women with tickets are reportedly turned away from Kabul Airport. There was no official statement from the ministry regarding the instruction.
Parking restrictions for women
In addition, restrictions were imposed on women’s access to parks in and around the capital, Kabul. According to the same ministry statement on Sunday, women and men will be banned from entering the parks on the same days, while women will be allowed to enter the parks only on the condition that they wear hijabs between Sunday and Tuesday. Men will be able to enter the parks from Wednesday to Saturday.
The Taliban had recently backed out of their decision to open high schools and equivalent schools for female students. The decision, which drew the reaction of human rights organizations and foreign governments, stated that “schools will remain closed until a new plan is prepared to open them in accordance with Islamic law”.
The Taliban, who regained power on August 15, took care to give moderate messages for international recognition, and declared that women’s rights would be respected “as long as they were in line with sharia”.
However, news from the region raised doubts about the authenticity of the messages the Taliban gave to the world.
After the Taliban came to power, they first imposed restrictions on women’s education and working life.
During the period when the Taliban was in power in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, it prohibited women from studying, working and leaving the house without a man accompanying them.
Reuters/BO,EC
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