Afghanistan: Taliban Says Women Rejecting Its Islamic Dress Code Suffer from ‘Psychological Problems’

Women in burqa with their children in Herat, Afghanistan, Arnesen, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 | Jihad Watch

A Taliban governor in Herat has acknowledged the recent detention of women and girls in the western Afghan city, claiming that those arrested suffered from what he described as “psychological” and “religious” issues.

According to comments published by Al-Emarah, a Taliban-affiliated media outlet, Noor Ahmad Islamjar confirmed that several women had been detained in recent days for allegedly failing to comply with the Taliban’s dress code.

His remarks appear to contradict earlier statements from local Taliban officials, who had denied reports that women were being arrested over hijab-related concerns.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed that at least 30 women were detained by the Taliban’s morality police in Herat between June 6 and June 7 for allegedly violating dress regulations.

The arrests triggered protests in Herat and prompted condemnation from international human rights groups and UN officials.

Islamjar further claimed that many of the detained women had spent years living in neighboring countries and had, in his view, adopted foreign cultural influences. Although he did not identify a specific country, his comments appeared to refer to Afghan refugees who had previously resided in Iran.

Ironically, the remarks pointed to the Islamic Republic of Iran — hardly a country known internationally as a champion of women’s rights.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)