Taliban's Response to Female Foreign Ministers' Statement: Women's Rights in Afghanistan Are Ensured

Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, the spokesperson for this ministry, reacted to the statement on Sunday (February 16) and said: "The global community uses human rights, especially women's rights, as a political and propaganda tool against the Taliban government."

He emphasized: "Afghanistan is an independent country, and Islamic Sharia is its foundation. This Sharia defines clear rights for women, children, and all members of society, and the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is committed to its implementation."

Khyber added: "Countries that claim to defend women's rights have themselves violated these rights over the past 40 years."

While the spokesperson for the Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice claims that women's and girls' rights are ensured in Afghanistan, the group has systematically violated these rights through strict policies. Women and girls in the country have been deprived of many fundamental rights, including the right to education, work, and social participation.

According to the decrees issued by the Taliban, girls in Afghanistan are not allowed to continue their education beyond the sixth grade, and women are prohibited from working in many governmental and non-governmental organizations. These restrictions have severely impacted the lives of millions of women and girls in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson also stated that no foreign entity "has the right to interfere or comment on the matters of this ministry" and urged countries to refrain from meddling in Afghanistan's internal issues.

Meanwhile, female foreign ministers from 17 countries, in a joint statement two days ago, criticized the ministry's actions and emphasized that its policies have imposed severe restrictions on women's lives. They pointed out that these policies have deprived women of their basic rights, including freedom of movement and participation in society.