KABUL: On Wednesday, Afghan women were restricted from attending amusement parks in Kabul after the Taliban’s morals ministry announced that there would be limitations on women’s access to public parks.
An official from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MPVPV) recognised the ban on women attending parks when called for comment, but they were silent when further questions were posed.
The extent of the limits and their impact on an earlier MPVPV directive requiring that parks, including outdoor areas, be divided by gender and set aside for women on specific days were unclear.A request for comment was not answered by the Taliban administration’s deputy spokesperson, Bilal Karimi.
Witnesses saw numerous women being turned away by park staff at an amusement park in Kabul that featured rides like bumper cars and a Ferris wheel, with Taliban agents present to supervise the action.
For security reasons, Masooma, a Kabul resident, asked that only her first name be used.She had intended to take her grandchild to the park but was turned away.Since these kids haven’t seen anything positive, they need to play and be entertained, she said. “When a mother comes with their kids, they must be permitted to access the park.”I begged them again, but they refused to let us enter the park, so we are now going back home.
In order to speak freely about this delicate subject, two park managers requested anonymity. They claimed Taliban representatives had instructed them to forbid women from entering their parks.
