KABUL: Afghan women wearing full veil sat in rows at a seminar at Kabul University on Saturday, pledging to commit to the Taliban’s gender segregation policies.
About 300 women, covered from head to toe in accordance with strict new dress policy for education, waved Taliban flags as loudspeakers attacked the West and expressed support for Islamist policies.
A handful wore blue burqas, which had only a small mesh window, but most wore black niqabs that covered most of the face apart from the eyes.
Many also wore black gloves.
Women’s rights in Afghanistan were drastically reduced under the 1996-2001 Taliban rule, but since they returned to power last month, they have said they will implement a less extreme rule.
This time, women will be allowed to attend college as long as the classes are segregated by sex or at least divided by a curtain, according to the Taliban education authority.
They must also wear abaya robe and niqab.
The women, who organizers said were students, listened to a series of speeches at Shaheed Rabbani University of Education in the capital, Kabul.
Large Taliban flags flanked the podium as speakers criticized women who have protested in Afghanistan in recent days.
They also defended the new government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which has banned demonstrations unless the justice ministry grants permission.
Daud Haqqani, director of foreign affairs at the education ministry, said the protest was organized by women, who had asked permission to demonstrate.
“We are against these women protesting in the street and claiming to be representative of women,” said the first speaker, covered from foot to foot.
“Is it freedom to please the last government? No, it’s not freedom. The last government misused women. They recruited women just for their beauty,” she said.
Some of the audience had babies, who occasionally cried during speeches, while others were clearly too young girls for college.
A student named Shabana Omari told the crowd that she agreed with Taliban policy that women should cover their heads.
“Those who don’t wear the hijab harm us all,” she said in reference to the handkerchiefs worn by many Muslim women.
“The hijab is not an individual thing.”
Omari concluded his speech by directing a chorus of “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is the greatest.”
Another speaker, Somaiya, said history had changed since the Taliban returned.
“After that we won’t see‘ bihijabi ’(people who don’t wear headscarves),” he said.
“Women will be safe after that. We are supporting our government with all our might.”
After the speeches in the meeting room, the women walked in organized lines within walking distance of the street, with printed banners flanked by Taliban soldiers carrying rifles and machine guns.
The public demonstration contrasts with scenes in Kabul and other places earlier in the week, when Taliban fighters fired into the air to disperse several protests against their government and shot two people.
“Women who left Afghanistan cannot represent us,” a pro-Taliban banner said on Saturday.
“We are satisfied with the attitude and behavior of the mujahideen (Taliban),” another said.
The Taliban say they want to distance themselves from the harshest policies of antiquity, when half the population was excluded from work and education.
Under the new rules, women can work “according to the principles of Islam,” the Taliban have decreed, but few details have yet been given on what exactly that might mean.
About 300 women, covered from head to toe in accordance with strict new dress policy for education, waved Taliban flags as loudspeakers attacked the West and expressed support for Islamist policies.
A handful wore blue burqas, which had only a small mesh window, but most wore black niqabs that covered most of the face apart from the eyes.
Many also wore black gloves.
Women’s rights in Afghanistan were drastically reduced under the 1996-2001 Taliban rule, but since they returned to power last month, they have said they will implement a less extreme rule.
This time, women will be allowed to attend college as long as the classes are segregated by sex or at least divided by a curtain, according to the Taliban education authority.
They must also wear abaya robe and niqab.
The women, who organizers said were students, listened to a series of speeches at Shaheed Rabbani University of Education in the capital, Kabul.
Large Taliban flags flanked the podium as speakers criticized women who have protested in Afghanistan in recent days.
They also defended the new government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which has banned demonstrations unless the justice ministry grants permission.
Daud Haqqani, director of foreign affairs at the education ministry, said the protest was organized by women, who had asked permission to demonstrate.
“We are against these women protesting in the street and claiming to be representative of women,” said the first speaker, covered from foot to foot.
“Is it freedom to please the last government? No, it’s not freedom. The last government misused women. They recruited women just for their beauty,” she said.
Some of the audience had babies, who occasionally cried during speeches, while others were clearly too young girls for college.
A student named Shabana Omari told the crowd that she agreed with Taliban policy that women should cover their heads.
“Those who don’t wear the hijab harm us all,” she said in reference to the handkerchiefs worn by many Muslim women.
“The hijab is not an individual thing.”
Omari concluded his speech by directing a chorus of “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is the greatest.”
Another speaker, Somaiya, said history had changed since the Taliban returned.
“After that we won’t see‘ bihijabi ’(people who don’t wear headscarves),” he said.
“Women will be safe after that. We are supporting our government with all our might.”
After the speeches in the meeting room, the women walked in organized lines within walking distance of the street, with printed banners flanked by Taliban soldiers carrying rifles and machine guns.
The public demonstration contrasts with scenes in Kabul and other places earlier in the week, when Taliban fighters fired into the air to disperse several protests against their government and shot two people.
“Women who left Afghanistan cannot represent us,” a pro-Taliban banner said on Saturday.
“We are satisfied with the attitude and behavior of the mujahideen (Taliban),” another said.
The Taliban say they want to distance themselves from the harshest policies of antiquity, when half the population was excluded from work and education.
Under the new rules, women can work “according to the principles of Islam,” the Taliban have decreed, but few details have yet been given on what exactly that might mean.