Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, has condemned the Taliban's recent arrests of women in Kabul for not adhering to their strict dress code.
In a statement on social media, Massoud accused the Taliban of 'kidnapping women and disrespecting them,' warning that such actions could hasten their downfall and fuel resistance.
The Taliban's Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice confirmed several arrests for 'improper hijab' but did not disclose the number of women detained. Sources informed Afghanistan International that Taliban officials had also 'beaten and arrested' girls in western Kabul for dress code violations, transferring them to an undisclosed location.
Massoud's statement highlighted the indefensibility of overlooking such 'crimes' by the Taliban and placed some responsibility on those advocating moderation and engagement with the group.
This latest wave of arrests has drawn international attention. Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan, criticised these actions as a violation of women's rights and freedom of expression, calling for the immediate release of the detained women.
The Taliban's prescribed hijab, as outlined by their Ministry of Virtue and Vice, requires women to cover their entire body, including their face, hands, and feet. This enforcement, met with resistance from various Afghan societal segments, has been challenged even by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, who argued against the imposition of such specific dress requirements.
Despite these criticisms, the Taliban's Ministry of Virtue and Vice maintains that their version of the hijab is a divine command and insists on its strict implementation.
