Women in Afghanistan have held a rare protest against the Taliban’s decision to shut female beauty parlours and salons.
Women shouted “work, bread and justice” while they were gathered in the capital city, Kabul.
Taliban guards responded with water cannons, and some protesters said stun guns were also used against them.
Women’s rights have been increasingly restricted since Taliban rulers returned to power in 2021.
Around 50 women took part in the protest on Wednesday, according to AFP news agency.
The Taliban have given businesses one month from 2 July to close thousands of beauty salons across the country.
They said the wearing of wigs and the practice of eyebrow-plucking were against Islamic values and parents were wasting money on beauty parlours when couples get married.
The decision further restricts the spaces accessible to Afghan women, who are already barred from classrooms, gyms and parks. More recently, the Taliban also banned them from working for the United Nations.
The closure of all beauty salons will lead to the loss of 60,000 jobs, Afghanistan’s chamber of commerce said.
Beauty salons were last shut when the Taliban ruled between 1996 and 2001. They stayed open after the Taliban retook power two years ago following the withdrawal of US forces, but shop windows were often covered up and images of women outside salons were spray painted to hide their faces.
The Taliban’s restrictions on women, which include strict dress codes and limits to them travelling alone, have continued despite international condemnation.
Religion melts brains buddy.
People can easily see that religions have sprang up all over the world and they can still somehow convince themselves that they got lucky being born on the right place with the exact right religion.
The worst part though is that only an egotistical, self important maniac would even consider that they’re somehow qualified to deliver god’s will to the people. Most people aren’t egotistical, self important maniacs and they just want answers about the universe.
So where do they turn for those answers? Religion a lot of the time, unfortunately.
And who stands there with the holy book and all the answers? Big egos or grifters who know that what they’re saying is bullshit.
Unfortunately, grifters and big egos also make it to the top where they get to make all the rules.
How is it Islamic? People said so. That’s all it takes.
It’s exactly the same way this or that is Christian or Jewish. Some big ego said so and a lot of people who just wanted answers nodded in agreement and said, “amen brother”.