Taliban-Appointed Cleric Defends Detention of Women: “Women Should Not See the Path with Both Eyes”

Kokcha News Agency – Mahmoud Zakari, a Taliban-appointed cleric at Kabul’s Abdul Rahman Mosque, used his Friday sermon to justify the Ministry of Vice and Virtue’s recent detentions of young women in the city. Zakari claimed that women should not see the path with both eyes when outside their homes and must be accompanied by a male guardian (mahram).

Sermon Details:
Zakari, who also serves as a senior advisor to the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees, stated that it is not permissible for a woman to leave her home without a mahram. He cited a hadith (a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) claiming that if a woman leaves her home without a mahram, “God, the angels, and all creatures of the earth and sky will curse her.”

Regarding women’s dress code, Zakari said, “Sharia allows a woman to have one eye open when she leaves the house; the rest of her face must be covered. The open eye should only be used to see the path; it is not allowed for other purposes.”

Crackdown on Women in Kabul:
The Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue has recently launched a widespread campaign to detain young women in Kabul. Witnesses told Afghanistan International that many of the detained women were already wearing hijab. Taliban enforcers reportedly used violence during the arrests, and images received by Afghanistan International show bruises and signs of physical abuse on some of the detainees.

Taliban’s New Laws on Women:
Sources indicate that the campaign to detain women and girls in Kabul was initiated under the direct orders of Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. In September 2023, Haibatullah issued a new “Vice and Virtue” law, granting enforcers the authority to monitor and detain citizens.

Article 13 of the law states, “Covering the entire body of a woman is mandatory. Hiding a woman’s face is necessary to prevent temptation. Women’s voices (singing loudly, reciting naat, or reading in public) are considered awrah (intimate parts).”

Clause 8 of Article 13 adds, “Whenever a mature woman leaves her home for an essential need, she is obligated to cover her voice, face, and body.”

Under this law, any enforcer can stop and punish a woman or girl who does not cover her face.