The Taliban’s supreme leader has claimed that his government has made the required steps to ”improve the lives of women” in Afghanistan, where women are barred from public life and work and girls’ education is severely restricted.
Hibatullah Akhundzada’s statement was released on Sunday, June 25, ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebration, which will be observed later this week in Afghanistan and other Islamic countries.
In his Eid address, he stated that, under the reign of the Islamic Emirate, “concrete measures have been taken to save women from many traditional oppressions, including forced marriages,” and that “their Shariah rights have been protected.”
Moreover, “necessary steps have been taken for the betterment of women as half of society in order to provide them with a comfortable and prosperous life according to the Islamic Shariah”, his message added.
Read Also: Three British Men Held Captive By Taliban In Afghanistan
The message was delivered in five different languages: Arabic, Dari, English, Pashto, and Urdu. Mr Akhundzada stated that the negative features of the preceding 20-year occupation relating to women’s hijab-wearing and ‘misguidance’ will soon disappear.
“The status of women as a free and dignified human being has been restored and all institutions have been obliged to help women in securing marriage, inheritance, and other rights,” he added.
Despite initial promises of a more moderate reign than during their previous tenure in power in the 1990s, the Taliban have imposed harsh restrictions on Afghanistan since capturing control in August 2021, as US and NATO soldiers were withdrawing.
They have excluded women from public venues such as parks and gyms, and have restricted media freedoms.
Akhundzada urged foreign countries to refrain from intervening in Afghanistan’s internal issues. He stated that the Taliban leadership desires excellent political and economic connections with the rest of the world, particularly with Islamic countries, and that it has fulfilled its responsibilities in this regard.
Akhundzada’s statement also decried Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and urged the Sudanese people and government to put aside their differences and work together for unity and fraternity.