The Taliban will use security forces to stop women from visiting one of Afghanistan’s most popular national parks, according to information shared by the ultraconservative Islamist group's Vice and Virtue Ministry. The ministry alleges that women have not been observing the proper way to wear the hijab, or Islamic head scarf, at Band-e-Amir in Bamiyan Province. The vice and virtue minister, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, visited the province earlier this month and asked security personnel to stop women from visiting the park, saying “sightseeing is not a must for women.” The ministry shared Hanafi’s remarks on August 26, including the use of security forces, clerics, and elders to carry out his order. To read the original story by AP, click here.
Taliban Says Security Forces Will Stop Women From Visiting Afghan National Park
Band-e-Amir in Afghanistan's Bamiyan Province is one of the country's most popular national parks. (file photo)