By Tamana Taban
Masouda* travels through three Taliban checkpoints to reach her shop in a corner of Bamiyan city every day. Since the introduction of a new morality decree issued by the de facto authorities, her journey has become almost unbearable.
The 25-year-old says the invasion of women’s rights, which was always part of their life under the Taliban, has become more brazen.
Most recently, officials with Bamyan’s Vice and Virtue department tried to have Masouda arrested at a checkpoint for “improper” clothing.
“About eight days ago, when I was coming from home to the market, the Taliban’s morality police at a checkpoint stopped me. They intended to arrest me, saying I was not wearing my hijab properly and they insisted that I go to the Vice and Virtue Department to sign a commitment letter,” Masouda said.
A commitment letter is a guarantee of no further breaches of the law, or the signee faces tougher penalties.
Masouda refused to go with the Taliban members in fear the something worse might happen to her, so they called her father. He intervened and went to the local Vice and Virtue office to sign the commitment letter himself.
“I did not accept their demands. They took my father’s phone number and called him. They forced my father to come to the checkpoint and go to their office to sign the commitment letter.”
But such interactions are taking their toll.
“I am very afraid. It has become very difficult for me to come to the shop,” Masouda said.
Reports of the Taliban’s “morality police” intensifying their harassment and incursions on the rights of women and girls have increased in the wake of the group’s Law of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, introduced in August.
The new restrictions, ratified by Taliban supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, include clauses that a woman’s face should be covered whenever she leaves her home, and her voice is an “intimate” part that should not be made public.
Masouda said that although she continues to go to work, the pressure has become psychologically damaging.
“If I don’t work here, my family will go hungry, so I have to work. But working here is becoming increasingly difficult,” she said.
Heavy policing of ordinary activities
Normal interactions between men and women are also more scrutinised.
Recently-engaged Samira*, 24, was visiting Bamyan city with her fiancé when they were subjected to an “unjust interrogation” by the Taliban morality police twice simply for being seen together.
“When my fiancé and I were driving towards the market in our private car, the Taliban stopped us at the Qanoon-e-Asasi chawk. They forced my fiancé out of the car and told me to stay inside,” she said.
“The Taliban asked my fiancé what his relationship with me was, and when he said I was his wife, they asked for my name and my father’s name, demanding my father’s phone number.
“Only once they checked the information and confirmed we were not lying, they allowed us to leave.”
Reports of the more frequent stops and interrogations are spread throughout the country.
Mahnaz*, 32, said in her hometown in Daikundi province the morality police arbitrarily stop women and ask questions about their reasons for being there, who they’re with, what they’re wearing, for no reason at all.
“They do whatever they want. They stop women and interrogate them in the market, showing no shame or fear of anyone,” Mahnaz said.
“They have even forced some individuals to sign commitment letters to dress ‘properly’.”
Mahnaz said she’s noticed two to three morality police in the all-white uniform of the Vice and Virtue department stationed at most of the Taliban security checkpoints in the provincial capital.
Sakina,* 26, said that the new decree has also increased her fear of any Taliban members in general, not just the Vice and Virtue officials.
While out in Kabul city with her fiancé shopping for their wedding in a week’s time, they were abused by some Taliban members who entered the same shop.
“We were sitting in a shop discussing our plans when some armed Taliban fighters entered. Without asking about our relationship, they slapped my fiancé and demanded to know why he was sitting next to a girl,” Sakina said.
“I will never forget the look on my fiancé’s face when he was slapped.
“The Taliban have turned our lives into a nightmare. We can neither enjoy happiness nor feel sorrow.”
Freedom to do ‘permitted’ activities erodes
Kabul market-seller Zahra* reported that she has faced repeated threats from the Taliban members in recent weeks.
She was initially warned not to come to her shop without a male guardian anymore, and during another incident, they attempted to close her store.
Running a business is one of the few professions that Afghan women were still permitted to do since the Taliban have banned women from many other offices and workplaces.
For Zahra, it was only through the intervention of the owner of the market and a few elders that the shop closure was averted.
But now, she is forced to bring her son as her chaperone to the shop every day to prevent her business from being shut down.
Women are also facing restrictions from family who fear the consequences of any interactions with Taliban officials.
Farzana, 29, said that since the new morality law was decreed, her family has advised her to go out far less.
“My family tells me that I shouldn’t give the Taliban any excuse to cause trouble for myself, so they urge me to stay home unless it’s necessary,” she said.
“The Taliban’s ultimate desire is to imprison women in their homes, something they can easily achieve with this new law, fulfilling one of their key objectives.
“We were already imprisoned before, but now our chains are tightening day by day.”
Fears of how much further Taliban incursions will go
Human rights organizations and the international community, including most members of the UN Security Council, have called for the Taliban to repeal the law. But the calls have been disregarded by the Taliban.
Afghan women’s rights advocate Salma Karimi says what is unfolding in Afghanistan in the wake of the latest decree could get even worse.
“This law could pave the way for increased harassment and abuse of women – not only targeting women who go outside, but also those who live within the confines of their homes,” she said.
“To go out now, they must first convince their families that they are safe, which is a very challenging task.”
She said the law has immeasurably empowered the Taliban Vice and Virtue department. With no oversight on how the morality police implement the law, its members and officials can punish people arbitrarily.
“Even the slightest disagreement between a woman and the morality police can lead to significant trouble for women.”
Note*: Some names are changed due to security reasons.
