In Afghanistan, the Taliban to flog and stone women to death for adultery

Activists say the announcement has doomed Afghan women to return to the darkest days of Taliban rule in the 1990s. Photo: Sanaullah Seyam/AFP/Getty

The Taliban in Afghanistan announced they are going to resume the practice of public flogging and stoning of women for adultery, sparking outrage and horror from human rights organizations, writes The Guardian.

Supreme leader of the Taliban, Hibatullah Akhundzada, declared two weeks ago that the group would begin to enforce its interpretation of Sharia law in Afghanistan, including the reinstatement of public flogging and stoning of women to death for adultery. He called it a step to combat Western influence.

"Yes, we will flog women," Akhundzada stated. "We will stone them to death publicly [for adultery]. You may call it a violation of women's rights when we publicly stone or flog them for adultery because it coflicts with your democratic principles. But I represent Allah, and you represent Satan."

The news was met by horror but not surprise by Afghan women’s right groups, who say the dismantling of any remaining rights and protection for the country’s 14 million women and girls is now almost complete.

Since coming to power in August 2021, the Taliban have tightened restrictions for women, barring them from working in government agencies, limiting access to education, and requiring them to wear the hijab.

Safia Arefi, a lawyer and head of the Afghan human rights organisation Women’s Window of Hope, said the announcement had condemned Afghan women to return to the darkest days of Taliban rule in the 1990s.

“Now, no one is standing beside them to save them from Taliban punishments. The international community has chosen to remain silent in the face of these violations of women’s rights." said Arefi.

Human rights activists emphasized that such a statement by the Taliban had been enabled precisely due to the silence of the international community.

As the UOJ wrote, atheist Dawkins hopes that Islam will not replace Christianity in Europe.

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