[Ninong]

Some of the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women in Afghanistan:


The following list offers only an abbreviated glimpse of the hellish lives Afghan women are forced to lead under the Taliban, and cannot begin to reflect the depth of female deprivations and sufferings. Taliban treat women worse than they treat animals. In fact, even as Taliban declare the keeping of caged birds and animals illegal, they imprison Afghan women within the four walls of their own houses. Women have no importance in Taliban eyes unless they are occupied producing children, satisfying male sexual needs or attending to the drudgery of daily housework. Jehadi fundamentalists such as Gulbaddin, Rabbani, Masood, Sayyaf, Khalili, Akbari, Mazari and their co-criminal Dostum have committed the most treacherous and filthy crimes against Afghan women.



Taliban restrictions and mistreatment of women include:

1- Complete ban on women's work outside the home, which also applies to female teachers, engineers and most professionals. Only a few female doctors and nurses are allowed to work in some hospitals in Kabul.

2- Complete ban on women's activity outside the home unless accompanied by a mahram (close male relative such as a father, brother or husband).

3- Ban on women dealing with male shopkeepers.

4- Ban on women being treated by male doctors. (Which means they won't be treated at all in most cases.)

5- Ban on women studying at schools, universities or any other educational institution. (Taliban have converted girls' schools into religious seminaries.)

6- Requirement that women wear a long veil (Burqa), which covers them from head to toe.

7- Whipping, beating and verbal abuse of women not clothed in accordance with Taliban rules, or of women unaccompanied by a mahram.

8- Whipping of women in public for having non-covered ankles.

9- Public stoning of women accused of having sex outside marriage. (A number of lovers are stoned to death under this rule).

10- Ban on the use of cosmetics. (Many women with painted nails have had fingers cut off).

11- Ban on women talking or shaking hands with non-mahram males.

12- Ban on women laughing loudly. (No stranger should hear a woman's voice).

13- Ban on women wearing high heel shoes, which would produce sound while walking. (A man must not hear a woman's footsteps.)

14- Ban on women riding in a taxi without a mahram.

15- Ban on women's presence in radio, television or public gatherings of any kind.

16- Ban on women playing sports or entering a sport center or club.

17- Ban on women riding bicycles or motorcycles, even with their mahrams.

18- Ban on women's wearing brightly colored clothes. In Taliban terms, these are "sexually attracting colors."

19- Ban on women gathering for festive occasions such as the Eids, or for any recreational purpose.

20- Ban on women washing clothes next to rivers or in a public place.

21- Modification of all place names including the word "women." For example, "women's garden" has been renamed "spring garden".

22- Ban on women appearing on the balconies of their apartments or houses.

23- Compulsory painting of all windows, so women can not be seen from outside their homes.

24- Ban on male tailors taking women's measurements or sewing women's clothes.

25- Ban on female public baths.

26- Ban on males and females traveling on the same bus. Public buses have now been designated "males only" (or "females only").

27- Ban on flared (wide) pant-legs, even under a burqa.

28- Ban on the photographing or filming of women.

29- Ban on women's pictures printed in newspapers and books, or hung on the walls of houses and shops.


Apart from the above restrictions on women, the Taliban has:

- Banned listening to music, not only for women but men as well.

- Banned the watching of movies, television and videos, for everyone.

- Banned celebrating the traditional new year (Nowroz) on March 21. The Taliban has proclaimed the holiday un-Islamic.

- Disavowed Labor Day (May 1st), because it is deemed a "communist" holiday.

- Ordered that all people with non-Islamic names change them to Islamic ones.

- Forced haircuts upon Afghan youth.

- Ordered that men wear Islamic clothes and a cap.

- Ordered that men not shave or trim their beards, which should grow long enough to protrude from a fist clasped at the point of the chin.

- Ordered that all people attend prayers in mosques five times daily.

- Banned the keeping of pigeons and playing with the birds, describing it as un-Islamic. The violators will be imprisoned and the birds shall be killed. The kite flying has also been stopped.

- Ordered all onlookers, while encouraging the sportsmen, to chant Allah-o-Akbar (God is great) and refrain from clapping.

- Ban on certain games including kite flying which is "un-Islamic" according to Taliban.

- Anyone who carries objectionable literature will be executed.

- Anyone who converts from Islam to any other religion will be executed.

- All boy students must wear turbans. They say "No turban, no education".

- Non-Muslim minorities must wear distinct badge or stitch a yellow cloth onto their dress to be differentiated from the majority Muslim population. Just like what the Nazis did with Jews.

- Banned the use of the internet by both ordinary Afghans and foreigners.

And so on...


Maybe they should pray more than 5 times a day for enlightenment, or at least pray a little harder, because they do seem a tad bit out of step with reality.

Ninong

[schrocat]

www.rawa.org

These are perhaps some of the bravest women I have ever seen...

http://rawa.fancymarketing.net/dec00-ph.htm

Even though they are in Pakistan, the police let the Taliban get a few licks in before they gas the crowd.
Notice how many women there are...There seem to be as many women wanting Democracy at this rally in December, as there are anti-Americans currently "mugging" for the cameras now.

[Ninong]

Schrocat,

Yes, obviously that is the site where I pulled my post above.

Do not lose sight of the fact that a large percentage of the Taliban are actually Pakistanis, not Afghanis, and that the Taliban is part of the Pakistani military establishment. It is remarkable that we are receiving the level of cooperation from Pakistan that we are at this time. It may be true that the Taliban supporters in Pakistan number no more than 15% of the population, but they are an extremely radical and vocal minority.

Visit The Lounge at Reef Central if you want to see some interesting threads, e.g., http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin...threadid=38110

Regards,

Ninong

[Aragorn]

I've shown that website to my family. Very distressing. I just had my boy's sit down and watch the special report, "Behind the Veil" on CNN. Did anyone else see it?

[Trapper]

You mean the one where the women was executed in public with a bullet to the back of the head? I was really surprised to see the atrocities that they are commiting to there own people. It's like looking at an ancient culture lost in time except they drive there victims to execution in a small pick-up. I'de say it's time to send thise people to a better place ( there heaven).