RASC News Agency: Aziz-ur-Rahman Mohajir, the head of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat, has directed owners of public spaces, including wedding halls, hotels, restaurants, and juice shops, to enforce strict gender segregation and to bar unveiled women from entering their premises. According to reports from Herat, on Monday, October 14, Mohajir held a meeting with local business owners, where he stressed the need for full compliance with the Taliban’s stringent religious codes. He called on them to actively implement the group’s regulations and to help spread the message of these strict measures.
Specifically, Mohajir instructed the business owners to prevent the presence of unveiled women, stop the mixing of men and women in their venues, and to cease the playing of music, which the Taliban have long considered un-Islamic. Despite these regulations, numerous videos have emerged showing Taliban members dancing to music, revealing inconsistencies within their ranks. Since their return to power, the Taliban have enforced draconian restrictions on Afghanistani citizens, with women being disproportionately affected. Women are effectively confined to their homes, as the Taliban place significant emphasis on hijab enforcement. Their edicts categorize a woman’s voice as shameful, and women are barred from venturing into public spaces without a male guardian.
For over three years, the Taliban have prohibited women and girls from attending schools and universities. Additionally, they have been banned from working and teaching, effectively excluding them from educational and professional life.