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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 18 august 2023

Taliban official says women lose value if their faces are visible to

men in public

By RIAZAT BUTT Akif, who is the main
Associated Press spokesman for the Vice
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — and Virtue Ministry, did not
Women lose value if men answer questions about the
can see their uncovered bans, including whether
faces in public, a spokes- any of them could be lifted
man for a key ministry of Af- if there were to be universal
ghanistan’s Taliban govern- adherence to hijab rules.
ment said Thursday, adding He said there were other
that religious scholars in departments to deal with
the country agree that a these issues.
woman must keep her face Akif said the ministry faced
covered when outside the no obstacles in its work and
home. that people supported its
The Taliban, who took over measures.
the country in August of “People wanted to imple-
2021, has cited the failure ment Sharia (Islamic law)
of women to observe the here. Now we’re carrying
proper way to wear the hi- out the implementation of
jab, or Islamic headscarf, as Sharia.”
a reason for barring them All the decrees are Islam-
from most public spaces, ic rulings and the Taliban
including parks, jobs and have added nothing to
university. Molvi Mohammad Sadiq Akif, the spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue, speaks them, he said. “The orders
Molvi Mohammad Sadiq during an interview in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Associated Press of Sharia were issued 1,400

Akif, the spokesman for the years ago and they are still
Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and that value decreases “Their name implies they lated from the wider Muslim there.”
and Virtue, said in an in- by men looking at her. Al- are not senior religious ex- community.” He said that under the cur-
terview Thursday with The lah gives respect to fe- perts,” he told The AP. “The The Taliban’s restrictions rent administration men no
Associated Press that if males in hijab and there is word Taliban means stu- on girls and women have longer harass or stare at
women’s faces are visible value in this.” dents. “ caused global outrage, in- women like they used to do
in public there is a possibil- Dr. Tim Winter, who is the He said the Taliban operate cluding from some Muslim- in the time of the previous
ity of fitna, or falling into sin. Shaykh Zayed Lecturer in Is- on the basis of textbooks majority countries. government.
“It is very bad to see wom- lamic Studies at the Faculty used in village madrassas, On Wednesday, U.N. spe- The Taliban government
en (without the hijab) in of Divinity at Cambridge religious schools, and that cial envoy Gordon Brown also says it has destroyed
some areas (big cities), University, said there was Muslim scholars who have said the International Crimi- the “evils” of drinking al-
and our scholars also agree no scriptural mandate in Is- been to Afghanistan during nal Court should prosecute cohol and bacha bazi, a
that women’s faces should lam for face coverings and both periods of Taliban rule Taliban leaders for crimes practice in which wealthy
be hidden,” Akif said. “It’s the Taliban would struggle have been underwhelmed against humanity for deny- or powerful men exploit
not that her face will be to find anything in Islamic by their level of religious ing education and employ- boys for entertainment, es-
harmed or damaged. A scripture that backed their knowledge. ment to Afghan girls and pecially dancing and sexu-
woman has her own value interpretation of hijab rules. “They have just been so iso- women. al activities.q

U.N. says militants are occupying a school complex in Lebanon

after clashes

By ABBY SEWELL camp. safety and security of our
BEIRUT (AP) — Two weeks The compound provides staff” and of the refugees
after clashes between education to 3,200 out of a living in the camp.
armed factions in Leba- total of 6,000 students in the A local Palestinian official,
non’s largest Palestinian camp, which is home to who spoke on condition of
refugee camp ended, mili- more than 50,000 people. anonymity because he was
tants are still occupying a Earlier this month, Klaus said not authorized to speak to
United Nations-run school that the start of the school the media, said militants
complex, U.N. officials said year might be delayed for from both of the opposing
Thursday. students in the camp due sides had taken over dif-
Dorothee Klaus, director of to damages to the school ferent schools, using them
the U.N. agency for Pales- facilities. as a “safe haven,” and
tinian refugees, or UNRWA, Klaus said the continued had looted computers and
in Lebanon, said in a state- presence of militants is a equipment.
ment that the agency has “grave violation of the in- The school buildings had
“received alarming reports violability of UN premises been heavily fortified to
Members of the Palestinian Fatah group run to take position that armed actors continue under international law, protect children in the
during a third day of clashes that erupted with Islamist factions in to occupy its installations which compromises the event of clashes, after pre-
the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near the southern including a school com- neutrality of UNRWA instal- vious outbreaks of fighting
port city of Sidon, Lebanon on July 31, 2023.
Associated Press pound” in the Ein el-Hilweh lations and undermines the in the camp.q