Habib-ur-Rahman Hakimyar Strongly Criticizes Taliban’s Stance on Male Doctors Being ‘Mahram’ for Women
Habib-ur-Rahman Hakimyar, son of the leader of the Islamic Party, sharply criticized the recent statements by Taliban officials claiming that male doctors are considered ‘Mahram’ (close relatives) for women. He described this position as contradictory to religious principles and questioned its validity. He emphasized that a deliberate restriction cannot be justified as a religious necessity.
This reaction came after the Taliban’s Minister of Communications announced that male doctors are regarded as Mahram when treating women and have full authority to examine and have physical contact with female patients. These remarks were made amid ongoing restrictions on the education of girls in universities over recent years, which has severely limited the training of female doctors.
Hakimyar argued that, according to Islamic jurisprudence logic, if a ruling authority creates a shortage—such as the absence of female doctors—it cannot then label the resulting circumstance as a necessity (darura) and issue exceptional rulings based on that. He stated that calling male doctors Mahram under such conditions is not compatible with religious foundations.
In recent years, the Taliban’s ban on educating girls in medical and other fields has faced widespread criticism both domestically and internationally. Many citizens and social activists have warned that continuing these policies severely hampers women’s access to quality healthcare services.
Following Hakimyar’s statements, many social media users welcomed his stance. Critics say that instead of providing controversial interpretations to cover shortages, the Taliban administration should facilitate the reopening of universities and the training of female doctors to sustainably meet women’s healthcare needs across the country.
