Under the Taliban, the word “freedom” has become a forgotten relic for Afghan women. Their latest undeclared decree bans women from studying nursing and midwifery. This decision has dealt a catastrophic blow to women’s healthcare system which was teetering on the brink of collapse.
This ban doesn’t just stifle women’s educational and professional dreams. It is a sure-shot death sentence for countless Afghan mothers, daughters, and sisters who will suffer from inadequate medical care. And the world watches in mute outrage! However, the lesson from all of this is to confront the reality of power-mongering Islamic radicals who disguise themselves as religiously guided leaders. This isn’t just a crisis for Afghan women – it’s a warning to the world about the dangers of unchecked Islamic radicalism!
Taliban Signs A Death Warrant – A Health Crisis Engineered by Extremism
Emotional footage from Afghanistan shows Afghan female medical students and their instructor in tears, consoling each other after the Taliban banned them from continuing their studies. The new directive shuts women out of medicine—the last field still open to them. pic.twitter.com/oFe18zDjJu
— Habib Khan (@HabibKhanT) December 3, 2024
Recently, Afghan female students wept outside health institutes in Kabul. A directive, shrouded in secrecy, was communicated to nursing institutes. Women are no longer allowed to enroll in medical education.
There is no written justification or even formal declaration, only the supreme leader’s word backed this draconian move.
Afghanistan already holds the grim distinction of being one of the most dangerous places in the world for childbirth. According to the UN, a woman dies every two hours from birth-related complications in the nation. The country needs at least 18,000 more midwives to ensure basic maternal care. Yet, the Taliban has decided to choke even the last lifeline for Afghan women.
Schools, universities, sports, singing, protests, politics, most jobs, parks, gyms, baths, travel without a mahram, TV dramas, ads, public speaking, beauty salons—banned for Afg women. The Taliban have almost entirely erased women from public life. pic.twitter.com/b25ZGeLrBv
— Arash Mehrban (@ArashMehrbann) December 5, 2024
The impact of this ban is staggering. This ban will not only deny women access to education but leave a vacuum in the healthcare system. Consequently, condemning women to die from preventable complications. The Taliban is set to give Afghan women a death warrant under their Sharia-led regime. Afghan women can no longer be treated by male doctors in many provinces. And now, there won’t be female doctors or midwives left to treat them.
To the Taliban, an educated woman means she won’t raise sons who will become Taliban. They oppose women’s rights because an educated woman threatens their patriarchal control and ideology. Simply put, an educated woman is the biggest threat to the Taliban’s future.
— Habib Khan (@HabibKhanT) December 4, 2024
The Taliban’s War Against Women
In under 4 years, the Taliban has systematically erased Afghan women from society.
Just yesterday, Afghan women were banned from hearing one another’s voices.
For Afghan women, this 2010 photograph by Boushra Almutawakel is not an abstract commentary, it is a lived reality. pic.twitter.com/Lb8qyq0ARO
— The Persian Jewess (@persianjewess) October 30, 2024
Since their return to power in 2021, the Taliban 2.0 has systematically stripped Afghan women of their rights. They began a spree of ‘Bans against Women.’ No access to education, freedom of speech, or even decent healthcare; reduces Afghan women to an exitance that is lesser than livestock! Thus, the Taliban’s policies amount to blatant gender apartheid.
This latest decree isn’t about faith or morality – it’s about control over women’s lives and bodies.
“I wish God hadn’t made me a girl, it’s so unfortunate. I hate being born a girl; we are valued less than animals, who have more freedom than we do,” says an Afghan girl living under the Taliban.
Sharia law makes it impossible for women to be free!
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) November 27, 2024
Human Rights activists note that the Taliban’s paranoia over losing control is expressed through their relentless policing of women’s bodies. The Taliban, a Pashto word for “students,” claim to follow Sharia law. However, their actions betray a fundamental lack of humanity. They silence women, suppress dissent, and enforce barbaric measures. All in the name of the one-book and he-who-must-not-be-named as justification.
Islamic Radicalism: A Global Threat
If the Taliban’s actions aren’t Islamic, why aren’t they challenged by Islamic scholars? Instead of condemnation, many— from Zakir Naik in India to Fazlur Rehman in Pakistan, Hamid al-Ansari in Egypt, and Abdulaziz al-Tarifi in Saudi Arabia—have shown sympathy toward them.
— Habib Khan (@HabibKhanT) December 3, 2024
One may wonder how does Taliban’s actions or bans affect the world. Their actions aren’t isolated or radical. Their actions are the consequence of a hardliner view of Islam. Hence, Taliabn exemplifies the dangerous trajectory of Islamic radicals that plague almost every nation in the world.
Islamic Radicals That support Sharia and advocate for Hijabs – are a watered-down version of taliban.
Sharia>>Democracy#Taliban #KabulHasFallen pic.twitter.com/b0lD5RBZ6G
— The Jaipur Dialogues (@JaipurDialogues) August 16, 2021
When in minority, these groups target other religions in the nation they occupy. Example – Bangladesh and Maldives where the population of Hindu minorities reduced in a few decades. Once they have eliminated the presence of other religions, through violence or conversion, they turn to sectarian violence. A prime example is Pakistan’s Shia-Sunni violence. Thereafter, once there are no sects to defeat, they shift focus to oppressing women and children. Example – The Taliban in Afghanistan has no enemies left, and so they focus on rights of women!
Today, every developing or developed nation is plagued by these Islamic radicals that chant for Sharia implementation.
Hence, the world needs to understand the reality of Sharia by observing the Taliban’s actions and bans.
Dehumanization Of Women
The Taliban represent true Islamic Sharia. People who say they do not practice Sharia should go and sit with them,they will show you every single word how they implemented it in afg, e.g Islam says that women are inferior to men, and the Taliban have taken this seriously.
— Human (@human2829_) December 5, 2024
The Taliban’s policies make one thing clear: for Islamic radicals, women are merely vessels for reproduction. They treat the verses of the Quran very seriously where women are compared to fields to be ploughed by men. Now, with medical education banned, Afghan women will be left to reproduce and die on the same delivery table because no one will be there to help them.
Islamophobia is natural when you see this ugly face of Islam. And then you have apologists claiming that Islam's accords the highest respect & status to women! Even that Hijab, Burkha & Niqab are women's choices!
Taliban are following SHARIA and Quran to the letter. https://t.co/GcD9U2hbvf
— Jai (@JaiBdmAmbe) December 5, 2024
Taliban and its Afghanistan are the grim reality of Islam. It isn’t about faith or piety – it’s about power and control. The world must recognize this ban and for what they truly are! Furthermore, it must act decisively to prevent such ideologies from taking root elsewhere among Muslim communities. Why? because even when they voted for strict SHaria, the women of Afghanistan aren’t just victims of a cruel regime; they are a mirror reflecting the dangers of unchecked extremism.
Humanity cannot afford to stay silent as Taliban turns women into baby-producing-cattle with no face, voice, or right to healthcare!
thus, the world should beware of islamists and islamic apologists – taliban’s afghanistan is the true face of sharia!