Taliban Fires Guns to Break Up Women's Protest in Kabul
2021-12-30
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1VOA spoke to people in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday who said they saw Taliban security forces fire guns in the air to break up a women's protest.
2Afghan women marched through the streets to protest new restrictions put out by the Taliban on Sunday.
3The restrictions limit how far women can travel without a close, male, family member.
4The new rules said women cannot go more than 72 kilometers from home by themselves.
5In addition, taxi drivers are not permitted to give rides to women who are not wearing a hijab, or headscarf.
6Sadiq Akif Mahajer is the spokesman for the Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
7He said the new rules are within the limits of what is allowed under Sharia, or Islamic, law.
8The rules also now prevent taxi drivers from playing music in their cars.
9It also asks them to grow facial hair and take time out to pray each day.
10On Tuesday, women walked together to the ministry,
11holding signs that read: "we are tired of discrimination" and "we are the voice of hungry people."
12Protesters demanded work, food and education and asked: "Why have you closed schools?"
13One protester, Hoda Khamush told VOA that the security forces fired shots in the air as the women got closer to the ministry building and some tried to enter.
14During the previous Afghan government, the building was the home of the Women's Affairs Ministry.
15Khamush said the shots injured some protesters, but VOA could not verify her claim.
16Taliban officials did not comment on the incident Tuesday.
17Television channels, however, did show video from the protest.
18Since the Taliban took back Afghanistan after the United States military announced it would leave the country earlier this year, boys have been permitted to go to school.
19Girls are still waiting for permission.
20Most women are waiting for permission to return to work.
21When the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August,
22the group said it would not bring back the same restrictions it had imposed during its earlier rule, which lasted from 1996-2001.
23The new restrictions came after the Taliban told television broadcasters to stop showing fictional television programs such as soap operas with women actors.
24The Taliban also requires female television broadcasters to wear hijabs.
25U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told the American broadcaster CBS that she is concerned that the Taliban is not treating women and girls well.
26In a conversation shown Sunday, she called it "a big issue" in any future diplomatic discussions with the group.
27The U.S., other western governments, and some banks are holding back billions of dollars in financial aid to Afghanistan.
28The Taliban says the U.S. should release over $9 billion of its wealth and remove financial restrictions because the new government is representative of the Afghan people.
29The country is currently suffering.
30The United Nations estimates 23 million people do not have enough food due to years of war, bad weather, and poverty.
31I'm Dan Friedell.
1VOA spoke to people in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday who said they saw Taliban security forces fire guns in the air to break up a women's protest. 2Afghan women marched through the streets to protest new restrictions put out by the Taliban on Sunday. The restrictions limit how far women can travel without a close, male, family member. 3The new rules said women cannot go more than 72 kilometers from home by themselves. In addition, taxi drivers are not permitted to give rides to women who are not wearing a hijab, or headscarf. 4Sadiq Akif Mahajer is the spokesman for the Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. He said the new rules are within the limits of what is allowed under Sharia, or Islamic, law. 5The rules also now prevent taxi drivers from playing music in their cars. It also asks them to grow facial hair and take time out to pray each day. 6On Tuesday, women walked together to the ministry, holding signs that read: "we are tired of discrimination" and "we are the voice of hungry people." 7Protesters demanded work, food and education and asked: "Why have you closed schools?" 8One protester, Hoda Khamush told VOA that the security forces fired shots in the air as the women got closer to the ministry building and some tried to enter. 9During the previous Afghan government, the building was the home of the Women's Affairs Ministry. 10Khamush said the shots injured some protesters, but VOA could not verify her claim. 11Taliban officials did not comment on the incident Tuesday. 12Television channels, however, did show video from the protest. 13Since the Taliban took back Afghanistan after the United States military announced it would leave the country earlier this year, boys have been permitted to go to school. Girls are still waiting for permission. 14Most women are waiting for permission to return to work. 15When the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August, the group said it would not bring back the same restrictions it had imposed during its earlier rule, which lasted from 1996-2001. 16The new restrictions came after the Taliban told television broadcasters to stop showing fictional television programs such as soap operas with women actors. The Taliban also requires female television broadcasters to wear hijabs. 17U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told the American broadcaster CBS that she is concerned that the Taliban is not treating women and girls well. In a conversation shown Sunday, she called it "a big issue" in any future diplomatic discussions with the group. 18The U.S., other western governments, and some banks are holding back billions of dollars in financial aid to Afghanistan. The Taliban says the U.S. should release over $9 billion of its wealth and remove financial restrictions because the new government is representative of the Afghan people. 19The country is currently suffering. The United Nations estimates 23 million people do not have enough food due to years of war, bad weather, and poverty. 20I'm Dan Friedell. 21Ayaz Gul wrote this story for VOA. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor. 22What can you do to support the women of Afghanistan? Tell us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. 23_________________________________________________ 24Words in This Story 25virtue - n. morally good behavior or character 26vice - n. bad or immoral behavior or habits 27previous - adj. existing or happening before the present time 28verify - v. to prove, show, find out, or state that (something) is true or correct 29fiction - n. something that is not true 30diplomatic - adj. involving the work of maintaining good relations between the governments of different countries : of or relating to diplomats or their work