The last areas of freedom, parks and gardens of Afghan women in the capital Kabul can no longer be visited by them. The Taliban decided to further tighten the heavy restrictions imposed on citizens in the country.
Earlier this week, the Islamic fundamentalist regime ordered those in charge of parks and gardens in the capital to block access to Afghan women. Until then, the hours and days that men and women were allowed to attend were different, preventing them from crossing paths.
“The rules have been broken in several places,” Mohammad Akif Sadeq Mohajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtues and the Prevention of Evil, said on Wednesday. “There was mixed participation and the use of Islamic veils [pelas mulheres] not respected. That’s why this decision was made.”
Since returning to power in August 2021 after 20 years of war and the withdrawal of American troops, the Taliban has imposed a radical interpretation of Islam. Last year, they began enforcing new rules that veto women’s liberties, ban them from secondary schools and order them to wear full Islamic headscarves. Afghan women, who were excluded from most government jobs, were also banned from traveling alone.
Parks were one of the last places women could go without restrictions. The Taliban’s decision was met with anger and exhaustion by many.
In a restaurant across from a park in Kabul, Wahida watches from the windows of the venue as the children play without being able to accompany them. Access to the site is denied by security. “We need a place to have fun, our mental health depends on it. We are tired of sitting at home all day, we are tired of all this,” says the unemployed mother of the family.
At the next table, 21-year-old Raihana shares pain with her sisters. “We were very excited to come to this park. We were tired of sitting at home,” says the young woman, who enjoys ice cream before leaving. One student of Islamic law is annoyed by this new ban: “Obviously in Islam it is allowed to go out and visit parks.”
Fun fair
All amusement parks have been closed in the Zazai amusement park, which opened six years ago on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan’s largest. Only a few guys wander around in surprise, most of them unaware of the new rules. Before these restrictions were announced, the site had up to 15,000 visitors on weekends.
Habib Jan Zazai, the park’s co-manager, visibly disappointed, does not understand the regime’s decision. With attendance plummeting, he says, it will be necessary to permanently close the place after investing US$11 million and hiring about 250 employees.
“Without women, children won’t come alone,” she says. “I want the Taliban to give us compelling reasons,” he complains. The businessman emphasizes, “You can be happy in Islam. Islam does not allow people to be imprisoned in their homes.”
Mohammad Tamim, 20, a teacher at a Koran school in the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, denounces what he calls “bad news” in the park with his friends. “Every person needs to have fun, to study… Muslims need to have fun, especially after 20 years of war,” he insists.
????????With information from AFP????????
source: Noticias
