It was sadly almost inevitable that as Western military forces decamped from Afghanistan things would rapidly start to deteriorate. This is what has happened and the monstrous Taliban have returned, are capturing more land from Afghan government forces, bringing with it the gross Islamic misogyny of the Taliban.

According to reports that I’ve seen and which have been relayed by the Religion of Peace website, the Taliban are getting more confident of victory over the Afghan government and are starting to ramp up the oppression of Afghan women. We are seeing the return of Taliban edicts demanding that women not leave their homes without a chaperone and that women are again to be imprisoned in the mobile canvas gaols called Burkas.

One report highlighted by the Religion of Peace site comes from a publication called Greek City Times which claims that things are starting to turn bad for women in Taliban controlled areas of Afghanistan.

Greek City Times said:

Terror reins in territories of Afghanistan that the Taliban have brought under their control as they distribute leaflets re-introducing dark Islamist customs designed to denigrate women.

The content of the leaflets is the same as those the Taliban imposed on Afghans when they last usurped power in 1996. Taliban restrictions are evoking a sense of both déjà vu and fear among the locals.

The primary restriction is about ordering women not to leave their houses without a male companion, and after covering themselves with a burqa from head to foot. They have also come up with new dowry regulations for girls.

Some Taliban are ordering girls aged 15 and above to be provided to them as wives. A few other groups are forcing girls and women from watching television or using cell phones.

For males, the Taliban decree asks them not to shave or trim their beards. Salons are being asked to close down in the districts where the Taliban currently hold sway.

The restrictions are being advertised in mosques during the Friday sermons, with the Mullahs insisting that Shariah law must be followed.

A measure of the Taliban influence can also be gauged by the fact that local radio stations are being forced to broadcast Islamist chants, called “Taliban Tarani”, along with messages critical of the Afghan government.

Playing of music is being banned.

Whilst the article also states that some women are arming themselves to fight back against the Taliban it is my view that this might end up being an extremely unbalanced fight. This is because the Afghan government is pretty weak and the Taliban have significant support from elements within Afghanistan’s neighbour to the south Pakistan. It’s likely that the women who support the current Afghan government will be at a significant disadvantage with regards stuff like supplies due both to the Afghan government’s weakness and the fact that military supplies from Pakistan will give the Taliban a major advantage.

Britain and other Western nations spent an immense amount of blood and treasure to try to make Afghanistan civilised. We freed the female slaves of the Taliban but due to Western withdrawal it’s likely that Afghanistan’s women are going to be enslaved again.