Taliban decree bans women from gyms, fairs and parks
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Alaina
- . November 10, 2022
- . Update: November 11, 2022 12:56 am
Continuing to suppress the women and girls of Afghanistan and persecute them of their fundamental rights, the Taliban regime has released another decree than bans the women from entering gyms, and public parks and fairs in the capital. The decision comes months after the entry to these venues was segregated on basis of gender.
This further shrinks away the already bare minimum public opportunities that have been left for the women of Afghanistan since the Taliban seized the power in August 2021. The women and girls are already banned from travelling out without a male escort and are also forced to wear a hijab or burqa whenever they go out of the home. Girls have also been banned from going to secondary schools for over a year now across majority of the country.
“For the past 15 months, we tried our best to arrange and sort it out – and even specified the days,” said Mohammad Akif Sadeq Mohajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue. “But still, in some places – in fact, we must say in many places – the rules were violated, there was mixing [of men and women], hijab was not observed, that’s why the decision has been taken for now.” Taliban teams will start monitoring these establishments to check that women are using them, he added.
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The decision has caused dismay among women who resorted to some solace by going to these public places. “There are no schools, no work … we should at least have a place to have fun,” said one mother. “We are just bored and fed-up with being at home all day, our minds are tired.”
Raihana, 21, who is a student of Islamic law at university, also has shared her disappointment after she arrived at the park to spend the day with her sisters. “We were very excited … we are tired of staying at home,” she said. “Obviously, in Islam, it is allowed to go out and visit parks. When you have no freedom in your own country, then what does it mean to live here?”
