Taliban order women to wear burqa in public again

Bloomberg — The government of Afghanistan, led by the Taliban, ordered women to wear the burqa in public areas and government institutionsin a resurgence of head-to-toe coverage less than a year after he took control of the country.

The legal guardians of the women who refuse to comply with the order face penalties such as arrest and prosecution., according to a Taliban decree on Saturday. Officials will be fired if they do not comply, the decree said.

The burqa must be worn because “it is a respected tradition in Afghanistan and the best type of Hijab,” according to the decree. Women can alternatively wear loosely fitting black veils, adding that the rules are intended to prevent the “seduction” of men.

The order could harm the Taliban’s efforts to gain international recognition and legitimacy. Since taking over from a US-backed administration eight months ago, The militant group’s edicts include a ban on secondary education for teenage girls, a ban on women traveling long distances without a male escort, and an order for taxi drivers not to allow women to sit in the front seats.

The Taliban’s recent regulations on women are similar to when they ruled the country in the 1990s, stripping women of human rights such as access to employment, education and social assistance.

–