Taliban Detain Dozens of Women in Herat Over Hijab Rules

Taliban Detain Dozens of Women in Herat Over Hijab Rules
————————————————-
Taliban authorities in Afghanistan’s western Herat province have reportedly detained dozens of women in a new crackdown over mandatory hijab rules.

Residents told Afghanistan International that the operation began on Saturday in the Lilami area of Herat before spreading to other parts of the city, including the Almas Sharq shopping centre and Qasr district.

Witnesses said male officers from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice detained women accused of violating the group’s dress code. More than 20 women were reportedly arrested in one area alone.

Eyewitnesses said some Taliban officers carried sticks and that several women shouted or resisted during the arrests. A local shopkeeper said many of those detained were already wearing hijab and had their bodies fully covered.

The crackdown followed a warning issued on Friday by Taliban morality officials in Herat, stating that women appearing in public without meeting hijab requirements, including those showing their faces or wearing make-up, could face arrest and imprisonment.

Under Taliban morality rules, women are required to cover their faces in public. The group has previously restricted women’s access to government offices in Herat if they were not wearing a burqa.