Current:Home > BackUN concerned over Taliban arrests of Afghan women and girls for alleged Islamic headscarf violations-LoTradeCoin
UN concerned over Taliban arrests of Afghan women and girls for alleged Islamic headscarf violations
View Date:2024-12-23 20:53:26
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said Thursday it was deeply concerned by recent arbitrary arrests and detentions by the Taliban of women and girls for allegedly violating dress codes regarding the Islamic headscarf, or hijab.
The mission said it was looking into claims of ill treatment of women and extortion in exchange for their release, and warned that physical violence and detentions were demeaning and dangerous.
The Taliban said last week that female police officers have been taking women into custody for wearing “bad hijab.”
It was the first official confirmation of a crackdown on women who don’t follow the dress code imposed by the Taliban since they returned to power in 2021 — a crackdown that has echoed events in neighboring Iran, which saw months of protests in 2022 and has long enforced the mandatory hijab.
The U.N. statement said hijab-enforcing campaigns in the capital Kabul and the province of Daykundi have been ongoing since Jan. 1, with large numbers of women and girls warned and detained. The mission also said women from religious and ethnic minorities appear to be disproportionately impacted by the enforcement campaigns.
“Enforcement measures involving physical violence are especially demeaning and dangerous for Afghan women and girls,” said Roza Otunbayeva, U.N. special envoy and head of the mission.
“Detentions carry an enormous stigma that put Afghan women at even greater risk,” she said. “They also destroy public trust.”
A spokesman for the vice and virtue ministry, Abdul Ghafar Farooq, earlier Thursday rejected reports that women and girls were being arrested or beaten for wearing bad hijabs and called it propaganda from the foreign media. He wasn’t immediately available for comment on the U.N. statement.
In May 2022, the Taliban issued a decree calling for women to only show their eyes and recommending they wear the head-to-toe burqa, similar to restrictions during their previous rule of the country between 1996 and 2001.
veryGood! (77166)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Mixed Use
- Katie Holmes Rocks Edgy Glam Look for Tribeca Film Festival 2023
- Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan Respond to Criticism of Their 16-Year Age Gap
- Eric Adams Said Next to Nothing About Climate Change During New York’s Recent Mayoral Primary
- A $1 billion proposal is the latest plan to refurbish and save the iconic Houston Astrodome
- Many Nations Receive Failing Scores on Climate Change and Health
- We've Got 22 Pretty Little Liars Secrets and We're Not Going to Keep Them to Ourselves
- Taylor Lautner’s Response to Olivia Rodrigo’s New Song “Vampire” Will Make Twihards Howl
- When does 'Dune: Prophecy' come out? Release date, cast, where to watch prequel series
- Was your flight to Europe delayed? You might be owed up to $700.
Ranking
- Should Georgia bench Carson Beck with CFP at stake against Tennessee? That's not happening
- Zendaya Sets the Record Straight on Claim She Was Denied Entry to Rome Restaurant
- Musk asks in poll if he should step down as Twitter CEO; users vote yes
- Andy Cohen Reveals the Raquel Leviss Moment That Got Cut From Vanderpump Rules' Reunion
- FBI raids New York City apartment of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, reports say
- How inflation expectations affect the economy
- Your Multivitamin Won't Save You
- 16 Amazon Beach Day Essentials For the Best Hassle-Free Summer Vacay
Recommendation
-
Elon Musk says 'SNL' is 'so mad' Trump won as he slams Dana Carvey's impression
-
Iowa teen gets life in prison for killing Spanish teacher over bad grade
-
Polluting Industries Cash-In on COVID, Harming Climate in the Process
-
U.S. expected to announce cluster munitions in new package for Ukraine
-
CFP bracket prediction: SEC adds a fifth team to field while a Big Ten unbeaten falls out
-
Arizona secretary of state's office subpoenaed in special counsel's 2020 election investigation
-
Luke Bryan Defends Katy Perry From Critics After American Idol Backlash
-
Developers Put a Plastics Plant in Ohio on Indefinite Hold, Citing the Covid-19 Pandemic