Kabul scorns US report on religious freedom

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on Sunday rejected the US State Department’s report on the treatment of religious minorities and human rights violations in the country.

On his Twitter handle, government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said: “Religious and civil rights of all minorities in Afghanistan are protected.”

Mujahid wrote: “In this regard, the State Department’s report is incomplete and based on false information. All Sunnis, Shiites, Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan practice their religions freely. We reject the report.”

In its executive summary, the report said the Taliban had laid out rules for the behaviour of women, forbade the playing of music and slapped restrictions on businesses owned by minority religious group members.

Some Hazara political figures expressed continued concern over the Taliban’s commitment to support the freedom of worship but commented that this engagement represented a shift from the Taliban’s approach between 1996 and 2001, according to the report.

Civil society groups say at year’s end, approximately 150 members of the Sikh and Hindu communities remained in the country, down from approximately 400 at the start of the year.

The Taliban closed the Ministry for Women’s Affairs in September, announcing the reconstituted Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, — charged with enforcing the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia — would be housed in the same building.

While enforcement varied by province and district, local Taliban representatives enforced decrees on gender segregation, women’s dress and head covering, men’s facial hair, unaccompanied women and music.

On December 3, Taliban’ supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada issued a decree stating that women should not be considered property and must consent to marriage.

nh/mud

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