Herat- After seizing power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban established a ministry named “The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice” as the state agency in charge of implementing Islamic law. The Taliban members affiliated to this ministry pose a threat to the peace and security of women on the streets under the name of control. Dozens of women have been arrested and subjected to insults, torture and ill-treatment by the members of the ministry for not complying with Islamic law for not wearing hijabs or veils.

A.S. is one of these women. While she was going shopping with her mother-in-law, the members of the ministry stopped them. They were taken to a detention center in Kabul and subjected to insult. “We were asked to buy black veils. We told them that we did not have money. They released us after three hours of insult,” she told NuJINHA.

She was subjected to insult and ill-treatment

 Niloufar Hakimi, a teacher in the city of Herat, was also arrested by the members of the ministry. While she was going to Kabul with her husband, they were stopped and arrested. They were also taken to a detention center in Kabul.

Niloufer Hakimi indicated that she was insulted, and the members of the ministry put pressure on her husband to buy a veil for her. “I thought my clothes were appropriate but while we were entering a mall, they stopped us. They took me to a detention center and forced my husband to buy a black veil for me. My husband did not have enough money to buy a veil for me because veils are very expensive. My husband had to leave me alone there to go home and take some money. After he borrowed some money from one of his friends, he bought it.”

‘The Taliban are afraid of women’s will’

Indicating that the ministry also has female members, Niloufer Hakimi said, “There were also female members of the ministry but they were nice to me. As I understand, they have to work. As Afghan women, we will never surrender to the Taliban. The Taliban force us to wear hijab and veil because they are afraid of women’s will. We will always struggle against such policies.”