Afghan Taliban have banned Afghan women from entering Kabul’s public parks and funfairs.
“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, spokesperson 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,” he told AFP.
“There was mixing [of men and women], hijab was not observed, that’s why the decision has been taken for now,” he stated.
Women and park operators, who have spent a lot of money creating the facilities, were shocked by the news.
“There are no schools, no work … we should at least have a place to have fun,” said one woman, who asked to be identified only as Wahida, as she watched her children play in a park through the window of an adjoining restaurant. “We are just bored and fed-up with being at home all day, our minds are tired,” she told AFP.
In May this year Taliban barred men and women from dining together and attending parks at the same time in the Western city of Herat, considered a liberal city in comparison to other cities of the country.
“There are no schools, no work … we should at least have a place to have fun,” said one ewoman, who asked to be identified only as Wahida, as she watched her children play in a park through the window of an adjoining restaurant. “We are just bored and fed-up with being at home all day, our minds are tired,” she told AFP.
In May this year Taliban barred men and women in the western Afghan city of Herat, from dining together and attending parks at the same time, according to an official.
Herat is considered a liberal city in comparison to other cities of the country.
Despite the international community stating that education for girls is a key demand for any future recognition of the Taliban administration, the group has barred Afghan girls from going to school beyond the seventh grade. Moreover, they have restricted women and girls from working and have limited travel for them unless accompanied by a close male relative.
