Taliban leans into violence, corrupt theology to oppress women through misogynistic patriarchy
Women have always been viewed as less than men throughout history, and this discrimination holds up to our present day. Women in Afghanistan specifically face oppression through the form of an Islamist movement: the Taliban. Religion can be twisted to keep men in power, which is certainly the case in this situation. The controlling and silencing of women has been justified by religion for thousands of years and enforced by violence and a lack of rights, but in reality it has nothing to do with faith and everything to do with misogyny within patriarchal societies featuring ignorance towards equality. The suffering of Afghan women is a devastating example of how this unjust system still prevails in our world today.
The Taliban uses Islam in a contradictory and harmful way. They practice a form of Islam that is derived from combined tribal codes. The rules are strict and unjust and do not follow the Quran, or holy book of Islam. One subject that this group manipulates is the dress code, specifically towards women. According to the United States Institution of Peace, “The Taliban use ‘hijab’ as a synonym for women’s clothing and cover. However, Quranic references to the hijab are not necessarily about women’s clothes. Islam ordained a perdah, or ‘curtain,’ for the wives of the Prophet, not for all Muslim women.” The Quran does not refer to all women when mentioning the hijab, and does not even specifically consider it to be an article of clothing. However, the Taliban has still made it a requirement for all women. There is no way for women to have a voice in this matter, so they are forced to abide by the policy. By choice, the hijab may be a form of empowerment for Muslim women, but by force it loses the meaning that it was intended to have. By deliberately misinterpreting a religious text and using it to control women, the Taliban gains unjust power.
Through the oppression of Afghan women, the Taliban continues to grow stronger and men are further benefited because no one brings adequate attention to the issue. The Taliban came to power through the takeover of the capital, Kabul, after the US and NATO left and caused the Afghan government to fail. They remain in power by evoking fear and violence rather than stability. The Taliban have been “banning women and girls from attending public secondary schools and universities. Women have also been impeded from working for the UN and NGOs, while other rulings have blocked them from going to parks, public baths, gyms and beauty salons” (International Crisis Group). The restrictions placed upon education demonstrate how their idea of stability only involves empowering men. Without being able to receive the proper learning for holding jobs, women are limited to the household where they must submit to men. They are forbidden from working government jobs, this ultimately means that they have no input to the system which controls their lives. Women can’t even participate in recreational activities, and are hardly treated as human beings in this society, constantly forced to live in fear. American media does address these issues, but fails to discuss how and why the Taliban came to control. In a time of need, they easily rise to power and take advantage of the situation. The Taliban and Afghan men gain more power and benefit by oppressing women and receiving no consequences.
Violence is something that the Taliban uses often because it is such a simple and effective method to keep fear present within the population, mainly women. This can be common within the household, and as a punishment for any type of “wrongdoing” in public. According to the Human Rights Watch, “Women who protest these violations face terrible consequences including enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and torture. From threats, beatings, and abusive conditions both during detainment and release,” women are punished for speaking out against the unjust policies and treatment towards them. Their voices are viewed as unimportant to these men because they need power and it can not be achieved when there is equality. They face abuse in a system that doesn’t care about them. The Taliban uses fear tactics to silence women and keep themselves in control for their own gain.
While women in some countries are gaining the equality they have always deserved, women in Afghanistan are being stripped of their rights. The Taliban manipulate Islam and the Quran’s teaching in order to control women, they grow more powerful through the oppression of women, and use violence to remain powerful. The Taliban should have been a source of structure after the withdrawal of US and NATO and the fall of the Afghan government, but turned out to instead be more harmful and devastating than ever expected. The cause of women’s oppression is undoubtedly misogyny and a resistance to equality within patriarchal societies, although it is enforced by violence and justified by religion.
by Samreen Chahal
Published February 3rd, 2025
Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue IV