The Taliban’s crackdown on women’s dress code in Afghanistan has sparked a rare mass protest in the western province of Herat. Two people were killed by security forces.

According to a report by The Guardian, officials have made a wave of arrests in recent days, targeting women and young girls accused of “improper hijab". Many families have alleged that they have not received any information on where the women have been taken.

Amid this uncertainty, a protest was held on Tuesday, denouncing the arbitrary arrests of women.

It is important to note that protests are rare in Afghanistan as the Taliban has banned all forms of unauthorised gatherings.

The Guardian quoted witnesses telling Rukshana Media that about 70 people joined the demonstration on Tuesday despite a heavy Taliban security presence, chanting slogans including “Education, work and freedom" and denouncing what they described as the arbitrary arrests of women.

“People were afraid, but they still came out," said one resident.

The witnesses said Taliban forces fired shots at the protesters and even deployed special units to disperse the gathering. The Guardian quoted local sources saying that two people were killed, three wounded and at least 13 others detained after being beaten by officials.

Several videos have emerged of armed Taliban fighters shooting at protesters in the Jibrail district of Herat. The Guardian quoted women screaming over the sound of gunfire, chanting: “Azadi" (freedom in Dari), “They are shooting".

Following the incident, Fereshta Abassi of Human Rights Watch has condemned the incident and said, “people are angry". “As far as we know, the Taliban have arrested some women in the past few days, and that’s apparently why their family members and others have been protesting [against] these rules. They see the Taliban as interfering in people’s privacy, which is unacceptable."

It is important to note that since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, they have announced several diktats on women, including barring them from schools, universities, most jobs and even parks.

The Guardian quoted local activists claiming that the women arrested were, in fact, dressed modestly. “They were arrested wearing full hijab and were manhandled despite being fully covered, which was considered a violation by their family members," said one of the activists.

“We organised through WhatsApp groups to defend our sisters," one organiser said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “People are angry about the arrests, unemployment and the continued closure of schools."

Samira Hamidi, regional campaigner for Amnesty International, said: “Today’s protest, especially with the participation of men after a long time, reflects growing public anger at the Taliban’s five years of systematic targeting of women and girls, and the intensifying repression of personal freedoms across Afghanistan.

“The reported arbitrary detention of women for alleged hijab violations, followed by the violent suppression of those protesting these abuses, demonstrates the Taliban’s continuing reliance on fear and brutality to silence dissent."

In response to the claims, The Guardian quoted a spokesman in Herat telling the Taliban-controlled National Television that reports about women being detained over their hijab were “baseless" and no woman had ever been arrested for this reason.

Source: News18