In the first Taliban press conference since the capture of Kabul, their spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, began with a recitation from the Koran.
Minutes later, she tried to reassure the world that the Taliban intended to respect the rights of women “under Islamic law” in Sharia.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai , who was shot dead by the Taliban at the age of 15 for campaigning for the education of girls in Pakistan, warned the BBC that the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia could prove disastrous for women. the girls in Afghanistan.
“I have had the opportunity to speak with a number of activists in Afghanistan, including women's rights activists, who have expressed concern and uncertainty about what life will be like,” she told the BBC. ” Many people remember what happened from 1996 to 2001, and they are very concerned about their safety , their rights, their protection and their access to school.”
The last time the Taliban was in power, women were not allowed to work or train . From the age of 8 it was obligatory to wear a burqa and women had to be accompanied by a male relative when they went out in public. Those who disobeyed the rules were flogged in public, in stadiums and town halls .
The British Sky News underlines in his own analysis that at that time it was forbidden to photograph, film and display photos of women in newspapers, books, shops or even inside homes . Toponyms with a “feminine scent” changed and women were not allowed to appear on television or participate in radio shows and public gatherings.
“If they caught a woman with painted nails, they cut off the tip of her thumb, while those who refused to declare their allegiance to the Taliban were stoned to death. “Anyone who broke the rules risked public humiliation and beatings by the Taliban religious police.” The death penalty was a permanent threat.
High-heeled shoes were also banned from “provoking” men and women were not allowed on the balconies of their homes.
What is Sharia
Sharia or Islamic Law is the Islamic religious code of living. A system of laws inspired by the Qur'an, Sunnah and Hadith, the deeds and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. It also emerges from the fatfas, that is, the legal views and didactic interpretations that can be given by specialized jurists and muftis, on matters related to Islamic law.
Etymologically it means the way to the source of water from the verb “shara'a” (شرع), which according to the “Dictionary of the Holy Qur'an” by Abdul Manan Omar, is related to the idea of a system of divine law. It includes a code of living that provides for prayers, fasting, and donations to the poor. Other aspects of Sharia include guidance on family law, finances and business.
What are the harsh punishments?
Islamic law divides offenses into two general categories: hadd, which are considered serious crimes with specific punishments, and tazir, which punishments are left to the discretion and judgment of judges.
Hadd includes theft, which can be punished by amputating one of the perpetrator's hands, and adultery, for which the perpetrators can be punished by death by stoning . Swallowing alcohol can also be punished by flogging. “In fact, most countries do not apply traditional Islamic punishments,” said Ali Mazroui of the Institute for International Cultural Studies. Islamic organizations claim that there are many safeguards and an obligation for serious evidence to enforce these sentences.
The United Nations has opposed stoning to death, stressing that it constitutes torture and other cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment, and is therefore clearly prohibited. According to the BBC, not all Muslim states adopt these penalties for serious crimes.
In Qisas it is provided that the perpetrator is subjected to exactly the same consequences that he had caused with his actions, to his victim.
How decisions are made
Like any other legal system, Sharia is complex and its implementation depends solely on the quality and experience of the experts. Instructions and decisions are issued.
There are five different schools of Sharia law: the four Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanafi doctrines, and the Shia Jaafari doctrine. Doctrines differ in how literally they interpret the texts from which Sharia is derived.
With information from BBC and Sky News and LiFO.gr
