Women workers must cover up 'even with a blanket', say Afghan Taliban
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On Tuesday, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued a statement saying women should not go to work unless they were properly covered, and they could be fired if they did not follow guidelines
Women working in Afghan government departments must cover up -- even with a blanket if necessary -- or they may lose their jobs, the Taliban's religious police said Tuesday.
Most women have been barred from their government jobs, since the Taliban retook power in August, though Afghanistan's new rulers claim they will be allowed to return once some conditions are in place -- such as segregated offices.
On Tuesday, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued a statement saying women should not go to work unless they were properly covered, and they could be fired if they did not follow guidelines.
The ministry earned notoriety during the Taliban's first stint in power from 1996 to 2001 for policing the leadership's strict interpretation of Islam.
It was unclear why they issued Tuesday's statement, as most women in Afghanistan have always covered their heads in public -- with a loose shawl at least.
"They can follow the hijab the way they want," ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP when reached for clarification.
Women working in Afghan government departments must cover up -- even with a blanket if necessary -- or they may lose their jobs, the Taliban's religious police said Tuesday.
Most women have been barred from their government jobs, since the Taliban retook power in August, though Afghanistan's new rulers claim they will be allowed to return once some conditions are in place -- such as segregated offices.
On Tuesday, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued a statement saying women should not go to work unless they were properly covered, and they could be fired if they did not follow guidelines.
The ministry earned notoriety during the Taliban's first stint in power from 1996 to 2001 for policing the leadership's strict interpretation of Islam.
It was unclear why they issued Tuesday's statement, as most women in Afghanistan have always covered their heads in public -- with a loose shawl at least.
"They can follow the hijab the way they want," ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP when reached for clarification.