Amu: A new survey by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), alongside U.N. Women and the International Organization for Migration, warns that the Taliban’s “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law empowers officials to apply repressive measures that extend beyond targeting women, creating a mechanism for broader social control. The report further reveals that women are facing what it calls “confinement within their homes,” noting that the law has fostered a culture that treats women as second-class citizens. Click here to read more (external link).
More
- UN report says new Taliban law deepens restrictions on women
- Education ban puts Afghan girls at risk of early marriage: UNICEF Chief
- Forced into marriage, Afghan teen says school ban sealed her fate
- Why Taliban has banned Afghan women from hearing each other’s voice
- What Does Life Under the Taliban Flag Mean? “A bird created for flight has suddenly had its wings cut off and been thrown into a cage.”
Amu: Professors at Herat University report that the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has issued strict orders prohibiting them from shaving their beards and mandating daily attendance at congregational prayers. According to faculty members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Taliban officials warned during a recent meeting that professors who fail to comply with the beard requirement or prayer attendance will face imprisonment. The directive, shared in a gathering of about 40 professors and department heads on Tuesday, October 29, stipulates that male staff members must keep beards at least “one fist length” — a traditional standard within Taliban ranks. 
Khaama: The news agency stated that the clash between the Taliban and Iranian border guards occurred after “forces from Border Post 4 of the Sasoli village garrison in Hilmand district fired at several Baloch fuel traders.” Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan over three years ago, their border guards have repeatedly engaged in skirmishes with Iranian forces. The ongoing tensions at the shared border highlight the fragility of the relationship between the two sides. The recurring clashes and lack of formal communication between the two governments indicate a deeper strain in cross-border relations. 
Afghanistan International: Richard Bennett, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, in his new report said that some “credible sources” testified about sexual harassment and rape of women inside Taliban prisons. Bennett added that he was deeply concerned by the numerous reports of sexual violence against women inside the Taliban’s prison. The United Nations on Monday released a detailed report by Bennett, which he will present to the UN General Assembly on November 2. The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights further referred to the Taliban’s claim to represent the entire Afghan people, “The Taliban regime is neither inclusive nor representative of Afghan society.” The Special Rapporteur added that the Taliban, especially at the highest levels of leadership, are mainly Sunni Pashtun men. According to the report, the Taliban claims unity in the country, but has discriminated, excluded, and rejected ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups outside the Taliban.