Afghanistan: US to exert pressure on Taliban to reconsider making hijab compulsory

In response to the Taliban diktat making the hijab compulsory for Afghan women, the US stated that if the group do not halt their actions, it will increase pressure on the regime.

At a press briefing on Monday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the pressure will continue until the Taliban rescind some of their recent decisions restricting women’s and girls’ rights, reported The Khaama Press.

The Taliban earlier had imposed restrictions on women, including the requirement that they cover their faces in public places and have a male relative accompany them while travelling.

“We have explicitly raised this concern with the Taliban, and we have some instruments at our disposal that we are prepared to utilise if we believe the Taliban’s recent crackdown on women will not be reversed or repealed,” said Price.

He did not go into the details about the prospective moves, or how the group, which has already set policies to limit its 20-year accomplishments for girls’ and women’s rights, might reverse its stance, reported Khaama Press.

On Saturday, the Taliban leader issued a new directive requiring all Afghan women to wear the hijab.

Taliban’s statement outlined the steps taken by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice officials to oversee the implementation of the mandatory hijab, reported Khaama Press.

The first step in this process is to find unveiled women’s homes and advise and warn their parents.

During their previous rule, from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban denied women the right to work and education, and the group’s stance over the past nine months suggests that they are once again pressing for stricter controls.