'Western Conspiracy to Control Muslim Population': Taliban Bans Use of Contraceptive Pills in two Afghan Cities

The Taliban has filled prisons to overflowing, deprived men and women of basic civil rights, and eroded social safety nets meant to protect the most vulnerable Afghans.

Afghanistan News: In its latest attack on women's rights, the Taliban has banned the use of contraceptive pills or birth control pills in two cities so far. The Taliban fighters are going door to door threatening midwives and ordering pharmacies to remove all birth control medicines and devices. The Taliban fighters are claiming that the birth control pills are western conspiracy to control the Muslim population. 

It may be recalled that Afganis are already suffering from extreme poverty and lack of facilities including medical infra. Many families with multiple children are facing hardship in meeting their daily needs as the Taliban has also asked women not to work.

Taliban, which came to power in August 2021, have since launched a crackdown on women's rights and freedom by ending higher education for girls, closing universities to young women, and forcing women out of their jobs. 

Taliban have also launched a 'purification' campaign across the country to replace civil laws with Islamic ones, according to The Washington Post. When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the group quickly launched what officials called a "purification" campaign aimed at stripping the country of civil laws and institutions to build an entirely Islamic society. A year and a half later, the Taliban has gutted the country's justice system by scrapping the constitution and replacing the legal code with rules based on a draconian interpretation of Islamic law, said Georges. 

The Taliban has filled prisons to overflowing, deprived men and women of basic civil rights, and eroded social safety nets meant to protect the most vulnerable Afghans. It is also seeking to transform the media, using it to promote its vision for the country and restricting content deemed un-Islamic, including music and the presence of women, reported The Washington Post.

Within recent months, the purification campaign has escalated further, with the Taliban formalizing these legal and policy changes, said George. Moreover, the Taliban's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, has become more vocal about subjecting alleged criminals to Islamic law, and this has translated, for instance, into more frequent public beatings.

Since taking power, the Taliban has also severely restricted female access to education and barred women from working for humanitarian organizations. The rulings sparked global outrage and initially forced many aid groups to halt operations delivering assistance to millions of Afghans struggling to keep their families warm and fed. The Taliban has said that other countries should not interfere with its domestic affairs, and, on balance, the international backlash has been relatively modest. (With ANI inputs)