Daily Times

The Taliban have banned women from visiting the Band-e-Amir National Park, a popular tourist destination in Afghanistan, reported Tolo News. The Taliban have a history of implementing bans on women doing certain activities, including preventing them from attending schools and working. The ban on visiting the Band-e-Amir national park is the latest in a long list of restrictions on women’s rights since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Acting Minister of Virtue and Vice, Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, said the ban was necessary because women had not been observing the hijab inside the park. He said that the decision was taken because female visitors were not observing the hijab. He added that a procedure would be prepared before women would be allowed to enter the park again. He stated that going on a trip is not obligatory. “Women and our sisters cannot go to Band-e-Amir until we agree on a principle. The security agencies, elders and the inspectors should take action in this regard. Going for sightseeing is not obligatory,” Hanafi told Tolo News. Religious leaders in Bamiyan stated that the women who were not observing the hijab were not from Bamiyan and that the government should take action to address the issue.