Women's Activists: Religious Scholars Should Not Remain Silent Against Taliban's Policies on Women

These women's rights activists described the statements of this Taliban-supporting cleric as the peak of darkness, misogyny, and humiliation of Afghan women, and stated that his remarks are ignorant of religion and exaggerated. They argued that Afghan scholars should not allow such individuals to spread incorrect propaganda against women.

In one of Panjshir's mosques, Mullah Yahya Anabi said that "stripping naked the freedom-loving women in prison is not enough, and they should be stripped naked in the streets and among people to serve as a lesson for other freedom-loving women."

Rukhshana Rezaei commented on this: "Afghan women have been victims of the lack of justice in this country for years, and Mullah Anabi's words reflect the peak of cruelty and the Taliban's ugly and misogynistic view of Afghan women."

She added, "The humiliation and insults by Taliban-affiliated clerics against Afghan women and their exaggerations about Islam are ignorant and incorrect. Religious scholars should not allow such individuals to use religion to spread false and incorrect propaganda against Afghan women."

Rezaei emphasized, "Afghan women have been victims of these false and ignorant propaganda by clerics who have no knowledge of Islam for years."

She called on religious scholars and particularly the Islamic community to pay serious attention to the situation of Afghan women and people and not remain silent against the Taliban's ruthless policies against women. She urged them to take a decisive and serious stance on the situation of Afghan women.

Maryam Maroof Arwin, another women's rights activist, also said, "For us Afghan women, especially those inside the country, it is puzzling what other crime the Taliban must commit under the guise of implementing Sharia against the Afghan people, especially women and girls, vulnerable ethnic groups, and religious minorities, for the conscience of religious scholars in Afghanistan to wake up and stand against the Taliban's misuse of religion and their crimes."

She expressed hope that religious scholars would not remain silent against the Taliban and their crimes and would break their silence.