KABUL: A few days after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan’s northern district, the imams of local mosques have issued a letter ordering women to leave their homes and ban smoking.
According to the International News Agency, the Taliban have gained control of key borders and several districts since the withdrawal of foreign troops, but there are also reports of local commanders imposing strict restrictions on women and civilians in some districts.
Women have been banned from going out alone and smoking after taking control of the customs post-Sher Khan Bandar in the northern region. The ban was ordered in a letter to the imams of local mosques.
The letter from the local Taliban commander warned that those who violated the orders would be dealt with severely. The imam of the mosque informed the citizens about this decision in his sermon, while loudspeakers were also used in some mosques.
Speaking to AFP, a woman told AFP on condition of anonymity that many women and young girls in our village were sewing, embroidering, and making shoes, but now these girls are scared.
— Dr.M.Naeem (@IeaOffice) July 12, 2021
The woman told AFP that the Taliban had barred women from leaving after the capture of Sher Khan Bandar. Women who take care of their children through employment are suffering severely from this ban.
Similarly, in one village, it has been banned to shave the beard and boys to wear red and bright colors, while men have been made to wear turbans when going out.
