RASC News Agency: Reports reveal that Abdulazim Hanzala, the preacher at the Grand Mosque in Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis province, has endorsed the orders and decrees of the Taliban leadership, asserting that it is the obligation of the people of Badghis to comply with these commands. He emphasized the Taliban’s stance that a woman’s voice is considered “Awrah”(something that must be concealed) according to their interpretation of the “Propagation of Virtue and prevention of vice ” law. Hanzala further declared that men who shave their beards are akin to Jews and Christians. He also asserted that it is impermissible for women to walk freely in the markets, stating that women must cover their faces and eyes in a manner that allows them to see only with one eye.
In parallel, the Taliban governor of Badghis has instructed clerics and imams across the province to spend one hour each day teaching Islamic lessons to the public, so that they may “learn Islam.” However, many Badghis residents have responded by noting that the majority of Afghanistanis are devout Muslims who have long fulfilled their religious duties. These residents argue that instead of providing essential services or creating employment opportunities, the Taliban persist in threatening, humiliating, and demeaning people through the pulpit.
During last week’s Friday sermon, Abdulazim Hanzala reiterated his responsibility to propagate the Taliban’s “Propagation of Virtue and prevention of vice” law from the mosque’s pulpit. In an audio recording that has circulated widely on social media, Hanzala declared that “a woman’s face is “Awrah,” and that it is impermissible for women to be seen in public. He quoted a hadith from Ibn Abbas, which the Taliban use to justify their stance, stating that women should wear their veils in such a way that only one eye is visible when they leave their homes. According to him, women who display their eyes and faces while walking in the market are engaging in impermissible behavior.
Additionally, sources report that Abdul Samad Javid, the Taliban governor of Badghis, convened a meeting titled the “Reform Session” with other Taliban officials in Qala-e-Naw. During this meeting, he instructed the Taliban’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, as well as the “Propagation of Virtue and prevention of vice” department, to convene all mosque preachers and imams. They were directed to spend one hour daily teaching Islamic sciences to their congregants.
The Taliban, who themselves conspired with international intelligence agencies particularly the CIA over the past three years and acted against Islamic principles, now present themselves as the custodians of true Islam. Meanwhile, they label the Afghanistani people as unbelievers, with the apparent aim of enforcing their version of Islam upon the population.
