US Representative Expresses 'Deep Concern' Over New Clothing Rules For Afghan Women

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th May, 2022) US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West has expressed concern over the recent decision by the Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities) to oblige Afghan women to wear all-covering clothing in public.

"I join Afghans from across the country and colleagues worldwide in expressing deep concern over the Taliban's latest policies that restrict women and girls' rights. Combined with the continuing ban on girls' access to secondary education and work, restrictions on freedom of movement, and targeting of peaceful protesters, the Taliban's policies toward women are an affront to human rights and will continue to negatively impact their relations with the international community," West wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

On Saturday, the Taliban government in Afghanistan issued a nationwide decree making hijab compulsory for women when being in public. Wearing a burqa (burka) - a full body covering that has a net for the eyes - was advised.

According to the new decree, a woman's male relatives, such as her father or husband, could face punishment, including jail time, if the woman does not adhere to the proper dress code. Women working in government agencies who break the new rules will be dismissed.

In December 2021, the Taliban issued a decree on women's rights which acknowledged that women are not property and cannot be forced into marriage. In January, the movement made it obligatory for women to wear the face-covering hijab in public, which caused protests in Kabul.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concerns on Sunday about the decision by the Taliban to require Afghan women to cover head-to-toe. Meanwhile, the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has committed to respecting human rights and the rights of women, but without breaching Islamic traditions.