To be shocked this isn't getting more coverage?

Fucking men 😡

I seem to recall when the Taliban were back in power and trying to be accepted as a recognised government they made a point about women and girls will be able to go to school, work, etc. and be more ‘liberal’ I guess compared to the old regime

You remember correctly, @AdviceNeeded2024, and for all I know some may have been foolish enough to believe that the words they used in pursuit of being "recognised" were the truth

Even voicing doubt at the time was dismissed as Islamophobia by those too ignorant to understand this has little to do with Islam, but then that's another example of folk restricting themselves to western thought processes which just don't work in this context

As for silly marches, forget it - they might be a fun day out to some in the west, but if the Taliban know about them at all they'd consider them a prime example of what the hated women are capable of if allowed to get above themselves

I didn't suggest all Jewish women, but there are expectations in some communities more so than others so while maybe not enforced by law like in Afghanistan there are community expectations or risk being ostracised.

I agree so many similarities between Jewish and Muslim ancient religions. Why can't everyone just live in peace 😊

Yes, everybody who marches for a cause should march for every cause.

I agree. I'll be raising this topic at the next meeting of my Labour Women's Branch and I'm wondering whether we can get it put on the agenda of the Labour Women's Conference later this year for discussion.

I think that
a) from what we've seen happening here and in the US and Australia, it's clear politicians don't give a shit about women's rights (google Tickle v Giggle if you don't know what I'm talking about) and
b) western leaders/ politicians feel helpless. They spent two decades throwing trillions and 3000+ lives at trying to change Afghanistan and within a heartbeat it was back to where it had always been. Now, of course, there is extra pressure because of all the colonialist BS: they can't go back in and try to impose a regime change because they'll be criticised as colonial oppressors. It's time for Pakistan and the other Muslim countries in the area to exert pressure — not that they care about women. My heart goes out to women in Afghanistan and Iran and other women all over the world who live with institutionalised misogyny of a kind we can scarcely imagine.

In the meantime we can send help directly to Afghan women through the Linda Norgrove Foundation, which has already had £100 from me this month:

lindanorgrovefoundation.org

No need, @ChallahPlaiter already has.

However, I would suggest being better educated before making sweeping, generalised statements, that are also incorrect. For example, "traditional" (sorry but no Jewish person would say that, it's meaningless) Jewish women are made to sleep on the floor. FFS no they're not, and I don't believe for one minute you're "friend" told you this.

There is a lot in the world that is utter shit. You cannot police it all and you can’t solve it all. You can’t even report on it all becouse it’s too huge to contemplate. Kafka write Evetyone wants to change the world, but not change himself. Be that change in your own world, support other women, fight for equal pay etc.

Having extremists in power doesn’t mean a country has a ‘backwards tribal culture,’ how ignorant.

Side issue, but I thought spelling it 'Moslem' was considered offensive these days? Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong, though.

The Taliban wouldn't give a shit about UK imams protesting. In their eyes those aren't real imams.

If imams in their country protested, they would be executed.

My heart breaks for these women. To have to live out your life being treated as less than human, to have no rights, no education, to never fulfill your dreams and use your talents. I do try to keep up to date with what is happening over there, I feel we owe it to these women to stay aware of what is being done to them but as for how they can be helped I am at an utter loss.

Please, not all Jewish women, or communities, follow these practices. Please be better informed.

From distant perspective, so many similarities between Muslim & Jewish “ancient” traditions in regards to head covering, modesty, washing body, dietary requirements, separation of men and women in worship, gatherings, education, etc etc
Possibly everyone lived by these types of health &safety guidelines 1,500-2,000 years ago in Middle East … No refrigerators, no running water, no law enforcement or safety for women
IMO these are H&S guidelines which are very out of date and have nothing to do with religion or worship.

If you come from a small EU country, maybe it is worthwhile getting educated about some of Moslem countries and their working and earning women? Number of women doctors in Azerbaijan - 62%. Number of Kazakhstani females in natural sciences is 53%, in R&D 44%. This is what I could find in the English language publications. Unfortunately I can't search non-English sources, but I am sure that the number of educated and over-educated women in the Moslem countries, formerly republics of the USSR after they broke away from Russian colonialism is far greater.

It depends on how many you see arriving in each country who will sign up to it but it might not be wanted. Germany is currently becoming more hardline re movement from Afghanistan (and Syria) due to recent events

I seem to recall when the Taliban were back in power and trying to be accepted as a recognised government they made a point about women and girls will be able to go to school, work, etc. and be more ‘liberal’ I guess compared to the old regime. Didn’t take long for them to backtrack on that. They also stopped the opium poppy farming which has taken a lot of income out of their country.

I don’t see what or how any other country could stop what’s happening there, they won’t listen to anyone else. It’s a sad state of affairs.

But the men need sex.
The men need to procreate
The men need looking after - Cooking, cleaning & nursing
So why would they agree to that?

It would be the perfect solution, but they wouldn’t let the women go. How else would they feed their pathetic little egos and feel like real men if they didn’t have women and children to dominate and abuse?

I also heard the news about the new laws only it's a lot worse than what OP mentioned, it's actually that women's voices are not allowed to be heard in public nor in their HOMES! basically when at home they can only speak in a whisper and yes of course, faces must be covered.
They clearly really hate women!

The taliban wouldn't allow it.

Mentioned this, and other news story about “new law woman can’t look at a man” to a friend studying politics … he said - “that’s not new news, it’s always been forbidden to look at a man, forbidden for woman to be outside without female group & chaperone, etc”

He was surprised that it’s a “law” because it already is. Perhaps it’s in writing now?

Probably many women in “west”, in my country, who are locked in all day, can’t communicate outside home, subject to cultural practices that impact health, freedom, access to education, medical care and jobs.

Not sure how “we” can “save” women outside our borders.
Would however, like be see that within our own country, women are all given personal freedom, education, access to further education, jobs, freedom to walk around and speak. We cannot ignore what’s going on here and pretend it’s only in Afghanistan. Or import cultural norms which oppress woman. Without worry that this is racism.

There are many branches and denominations in Judaism. Liberal, reform, orthodox, ultra orthodox and more... What you should remember about Judaism is it doesn't actively seek to recruit or convert people like many other religions do.

On twitter a lot of brave Afghani women are singing. It is really gathering momentum there. It is heartbreaking that women are ceasing to exist in Afghanistan and very worrying.

I can't help wondering that the UN should provide a safe corridor for women to leave. This would free the Taliban from the worry of female temptation, free the women and cause the men to die out.

But in the Soviet era, as now if you disagree with the government get your throat slit in the middle of the night or fall out of a police cell. Both of which happened to my family members.

Thank you for your response. My friend (who is Jewish) chose not to wear a wig or cover her hair as suggested to her by her mother in law and it was eventually accepted. She chooses to have the bath after her period and also fasts on Friday and Saturday. It's great that she could choose the rituals she wanted and it didn't seem that anything was enforced as such but also said that it is expected in some other families but hers are more liberal.

I'm sure this is also the same for many people of all religions/faiths etc. It's the laws which are being made and then enforced in Afghanistan which is truly shocking meaning there is no actual choice in the matter.