Taliban Official Attributes Criticism of Hijab to Young People’s Religious Ignorance
Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, stated that in his view, many young people in the country lack a full understanding of religious teachings and therefore unjustly criticize Islam. He emphasized that with the implementation of hijab regulations, the amount of such criticism will increase.
Hanafi made these remarks yesterday during a special seminar held with religious preachers from his department in Kabul. He asserted that “hijab is an individual religious obligation and mandatory for adult girls,” adding that a girl who reaches puberty must “be covered from head to toe.”
The Taliban’s Minister for the Promotion of Virtue also claimed that the department’s recommendations and admonitions regarding women’s hijab “are for the benefit of society” and called on the international community not to interfere in the issue of the hijab.
These statements come amid widespread reactions inside and outside the country following the arrest of several women in Herat province on charges of “not wearing the hijab.” Critics argue that the strict enforcement in urban areas and increasing restrictions on women’s dress further curtail individual freedoms and fundamental citizen rights—a point consistently condemned by human rights organizations.
