Taliban accuses global community of violating Afghan women's dignity

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 1 : Taliban on Monday accused the international community of trying to violate Afghan women's dignity under the guise of human rights.
Acting Minister of Vice and Virtue, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, speaking to a gathering in the northern province of Faryab, said that human rights have been violated mostly by the international community in Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.
"The world wants to violate the dignity of our sisters and make them indecent and exposed. What type of right is this? The international community wants a guy and girl to be sitting in one chair--neither our nation, nor our beliefs and religion supports this," he said.
The allegations come amid deteriorating conditions of women under Taliban in Afghanistan. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report which highlighted that women's rights have eroded in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover.
The report stated that the erosion of women's rights has been one of the most notable aspects of the de facto administration to date. Before the Taliban came to power, women and girls have progressively had their rights to fully participate in education, the workplace and other aspects of public and daily life.
However, these rights have been restricted and in many cases completely taken away following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban.
A decision taken by the Taliban prevented girls from returning to secondary school which meant that a generation of girls will not complete their full 12 years of basic education. At the same time, access to justice for victims of gender-based violence has been limited by the dissolution of dedicated reporting pathways, justice mechanisms and shelters, it added.
Referring to the physical appearance of some Taliban forces, Hanafi said that some parts of the decree of the Islamic Emirate's supreme leader are not obeyed, reported Tolo News.
The Vice and Virtue minister also called on government employees to adjust their appearance based on Sharia.
"All employees that are in the provinces, districts and ministries should make their appearances according to Islamic values," Hanafi said.
He said that after the Taliban swept into power, the women are observing the hijab "100 per cent," reported Tolo News.
"To the Mujahedeen, who are in the security department, corps and intelligence department or they are in the Department of Vice and Virtue or the Department of Education, and their hair is long; this is disobedience, and we are obliged to make the appearance of the Mujahideen based on Sharia," he said.
Meanwhile, the religious clerics who participated in the gathering expressed their demands from the Islamic Emirate.
"The hair (length) which the Mujahedeen of the Islamic Emirate wear should be based on Sharia," said Zainul Abideen, an Islamic cleric.
Earlier, Hanafi said that it is ready for engagement with the international community, but if "they are against Islam, are not acceptable."