Clerics’ Concerns over Gender Mixing Prompt Taliban to Prohibit Women from Dining in Restaurants with Gardens

The Taliban has prohibited families and women from visiting restaurants with gardens or green spaces in the northwestern province of Herat in Afghanistan, as per an official statement on Monday. This decision came after receiving complaints from religious scholars and the public about the mingling of genders in such places. This move is the latest in a series of restrictions imposed by the Taliban since they took control in August 2021. They have barred girls from attending schools beyond the sixth grade, women from attending universities, and most types of employment, including jobs at the United Nations. Additionally, women are not permitted to visit public places such as parks and gyms. The authorities claim that these restrictions are in place because of gender mixing or because women are not wearing the hijab correctly. However, the outdoor dining ban only applies to establishments in Herat, where such premises remain open to men. Baz Mohammad Nazir, a deputy official from the Ministry of Vice and Virtue’s directorate in Herat, denied media reports that all restaurants were off limits to families and women, dismissing them as propaganda. He mentioned that it applied only to restaurants with green areas, such as a park, where men and women could meet. Nazir also denied reports that sales of DVDs of foreign films, TV shows, and music are banned in the province, saying that business owners were advised against selling this material because it contradicted Islamic values.