Thomas West, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan, has expressed concern over the Taliban’s recent policies on women, warning that the Taliban’s measures may undermine their relationship with the international community.
West wrote in a series of tweets today, May 9, that the Taliban’s “policies toward women are an affront to human rights”.
The US special representative also wrote that he, along with Afghans, express deep concern regarding the Taliban’s recent measures that impede the rights of women and girls.
At the same time, Tomas Niklasson, the EU Special Representative for Afghanistan, stated in separate meetings with the Taliban’s foreign and education ministers that he was concerned about the imposition of the hijab in Afghanistan.
Niklasson tweeted today that full face covering veils for women is contrary to the Afghan culture and tradition in many parts of the country.
Following the Taliban’s restrictions on women, the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice made hijab mandatory for women and girls, and warned that parents of women who did not wear hijab would be punished and imprisoned.
The Taliban’s preference of blue burqa (Chadari) in its statement aroused strong objections inside the region.
