“Even when an adult female prays and another female passes by..."
November 7, 2024 4:54 AM   Subscribe

In a place where an act as simple as reading the Quran can be an act of defiance, the Taliban has banned women from hearing other women’s voices in its latest attempt to impose their version of Islamic law on Afghanistan, including mandating that women refrain from performing Takbir—an Islamic expression of faith—and from reciting the Quran aloud, even in the presence of other women.

The UN and Amnesty have stated that the oppression of Afghan women, made prisoners in their homes, unable to speak, has erased women from all spheres of life. Girls born in the 20 years free of Taliban rule went to school and learned of their mothers' experience of repression, only to lose the ability to attend school with the Taliban's return in 2021. Women lost their ability to work, learn, travel alone, or receive healthcare and became "faceless, voiceless shadows" in a brutal apartheid against women.

What makes the Taliban's ideology so uniquely repressive of women?
“What sets the Taliban apart from other Islamic groups,” Moheq added, “are the tribal codes of Afghanistan also embedded in the Taliban’s ideology.” A fundamental part of the tribal codes is defining a narrow place for women: They exists as the property of men and for the honor of men. For example, Moheq explained, “the rape of a woman is not seen as wrong because she was raped, but because she represents the honor of a man,” and that is what was violated.

The Taliban’s ideology was strong enough to draw manpower from the country’s tribal areas for long enough to outlast the United States and the Western-backed government in Kabul. In return, as the primary manpower of the Taliban comes from tribal areas of the country, they further reinforce the Taliban’s conservative culture, including the continued exclusion of women.
However, a supermajority of Afghan men polled believe women's rights should be a national priority. But they're afraid to speak out:
Among more than 7,500 Afghans living in the country with access to mobile and internet services, the survey found, 66% said they agreed or strongly agreed that human rights for women were a top priority for the future of Afghanistan. Nearly half, or 45% of those, strongly supported the Taliban’s control of the country.
Is the international community helping afghan women, or abandoning them?

To the Taliban's nihilist vision for Pashto-Itslamic culture, a proud history of alternatives exist.

UN Women - Afghanistan Gender Profile 2024
Wikipedia | Taliban Treatment of Women
posted by rubatan (19 comments total) 29 users marked this as a favorite
 
Once again we learn that theocracy is a terrible idea.

Well done post, rubatan.
posted by doctornemo at 5:41 AM on November 7, 2024 [7 favorites]


In a just world, all of these interchangeable and disposable Taliban ministers would get aggressive tongue cancer as soon as they speak this rule aloud.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 6:25 AM on November 7, 2024 [8 favorites]


Mod note: Comment removed. Please do not try to make the topic of this post, Afghanistan, about the results of the US election.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 7:15 AM on November 7, 2024 [25 favorites]


I had no idea. Wtf.
posted by Omnomnom at 8:50 AM on November 7, 2024


am reminded of this NYT profile of Sirajjudin Haqqani and how cool and western he is and how he's going to moderate the country on women's rights
posted by BungaDunga at 9:27 AM on November 7, 2024 [3 favorites]


Yes, the Telegraph and the Business Standard are excellent sources of accurate news about the Muslim world. By the way, my name is Elmer J. Fudd and I own a mansion and a yacht.

Here’s a far more detailed and nuanced source. Dilly Hussain of 5Pillars Media visited Afghanistan several weeks ago. No punches pulled.

https://youtu.be/Qu1ypy4hb-w?si=n1pIz0ZoMHkI8g_e
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 10:17 AM on November 7, 2024


Far be it from me to trust anything from the mainstream British media (truly one of the most reprehensible media ecosystems in the world). But I'm also reluctant to trust a guy who described his organization, 5Pillars, as being "the only Muslim media outlet that is exposing the LGBTQ agenda in schools" and used his podcast to platform a literal neo-Nazi.
posted by cultanthropologist at 10:43 AM on November 7, 2024 [14 favorites]


Once again we learn that theocracy is a terrible idea.

I mean, I'm not here to defend theocracy, but that's an odd takeaway from a story about how women are being prevented from engaging with Islamic learning. The main problem here isn't theocracy - there is nothing in Islam that is against women learning - quite the opposite (the Qur'an stresses the importance of education for everyone). I don't have the energy right now, but there are countless examples across the Muslim world of women becoming literate, gaining more Islamic knowledge as a result, and using that knowledge to fight for and win greater gender parity. The Qur'an and hadith are maybe not what you're assuming they are.
posted by coffeecat at 10:52 AM on November 7, 2024 [12 favorites]


Theocracy has nothing to do with mainstream intepretations of religious text or teachings. What you or I or mainstream Muslims or anyone else thinks the Qur'an or hadith say is totally irrelevant to how theocrats use them for their own objectives.
posted by biogeo at 11:08 AM on November 7, 2024 [10 favorites]


am reminded of this NYT profile of Sirajjudin Haqqani and how cool and western he is and how he's going to moderate the country on women's rights

NYT now just one modestly successful sanewashing genAI tool in a newspaper suit.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 11:09 AM on November 7, 2024 [4 favorites]


that's an odd takeaway

It's one takeaway of many I had. And I'm well aware of the range of Islamic possibilities. But the Taliban are certainly a theocracy, whatever you think of their blend of Islam. And we humans keep doing various forms of theocratic projects, which irks me, hence my note.
posted by doctornemo at 3:59 PM on November 7, 2024


I too have concerns about sources. But the Telegraph is the original reporter and it’s backed by the UN etc etc etc. In any discussion of Mideast politics, you’ll struggle to find any western outlet someone won’t gripe about (and totally fairly) or most “mainstream” MidEast outlets. I’d love more links.

Equally, for criticisms of Islam, that’s why I’ve been careful to point out the uniqueness of the Taliban, that this is actually then preventing Muslim women from practicing their faith, Islamic alternatives even within the same country (every person should read the book about Badshah Khan). But I think in good faith, there aren’t any critiques of Islam above. I’m sorry for where a negative anecdote can contribute to stereotypes and bigotry. My partner is very into the TikTok trend “Cats like Egyptians” and that ilk. The idea is we negative stereotypes driven by a narrative, of Muslims in west in this case, even if you don’t agree with the stereotype it creeps in. We need to humanize with positive “benign” stereotypes. She uses the example above to humanize an Egyptian family member to bigoted family members. I’ve come around to the idea. I’ll redouble my efforts to make a Badshah Khan post, and all the beautiful things about Afghanistan.
posted by rubatan at 4:10 PM on November 7, 2024 [3 favorites]


But to keep refocus, this FPP is about what Amnesty and the UN are saying is an apartheid against women.
posted by rubatan at 6:07 PM on November 7, 2024 [1 favorite]


women are not allowed to sing, call aloud Takbir and discouraged from speaking even in a professional setting.

working 9 to 5

what a way to make a living.
posted by clavdivs at 7:04 PM on November 7, 2024 [1 favorite]


I really do appreciate how well the Cold War strategy to foment rightwing religiousity as a bulwark against communism is working out.
posted by cendawanita at 7:22 PM on November 7, 2024 [14 favorites]


Interesting, are you suggesting Daoud, "I like to light my American cigarettes with Russian matches" was a stooge or Zahir Shah or is this the reaction to the Soviet invasion. The west strongly supported Ahmad Shah Massoud, one of the greatest resistance leaders of the 20th century.
so really it's not a question of religiousity in this instance of geopolitical (re) alignment but one of cash. the admittedly those two are intertwined.
posted by clavdivs at 4:02 PM on November 9, 2024


For posterity, Taliban bans women from training in midwifery
posted by rubatan at 3:04 AM on December 4, 2024


“The Taliban have also banned women from being treated by male healthcare professionals and now what they are doing effectively is cutting off the pipeline of new female healthcare professionals.”...
...“You can imagine five years down the line, women will be giving birth at home alone and there will be districts with no midwives and no access to health.”
I don't understand how this ends. So few people, either birthing or being born, are likely to survive unassisted childbirth.
posted by hydropsyche at 3:20 AM on December 4, 2024


Is their goal to eliminate women entirely? Serious question.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:35 AM on December 4, 2024


« Older In defense of the state flags   |   dismantle fascists from the safety of your home... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments