Hanafi: Ulema should mobilize against the media.
In his latest statements, Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s Minister of Religious Affairs, accused foreign media of “promoting the veil, drinking alcohol, and gambling” in Afghanistan and called on the Ulema to confront media activities. He called these actions part of “propaganda of evil” and called confronting them “jihad.”
Hanafi made the remarks on Wednesday, July 23, at a meeting with a group of religious scholars and tribal elders in Kabul. He claimed that some groups are even encouraging girls and women to abandon the hijab by distributing money.
These statements come as reports of widespread arrests of women and girls in Kabul on charges of “not wearing the hijab” have been published, and sources say that the Taliban leadership has sent a delegation from Kandahar to Kabul to intensify the process of arrests and restrictions.
During the nearly four years of Taliban rule, the group’s pressure on women, the media, and civil liberties has increased sharply, and their repressive actions against independent and human rights institutions have led to widespread domestic and international reactions.
