According to The Guardian, they dismiss its use as a ‘Western conspiracy’ used to control the Muslim population.
The Taliban* reportedly banned the sale of all medicines and contraceptive methods in at least Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif, two of Afghanistan’s largest cities, claiming it is a form of ‘conspiracy’ by Western countries trying to use contraception to control the Muslim population, The Guardian reports.
According to the newspaper, Taliban fighters patrol the streets and force shopkeepers to remove anything related to birth control from the shelves.
“They came to my store twice armed and threatened me so that I would not put up for sale contraceptive pills. They are regularly checking all the pharmacies in Kabul and we have stopped selling the products,” said a shop owner in the capital.
A midwife revealed that she had been threatened several times. According to the outlet, a Taliban commander told her that she “is not allowed to go outside of her and promote the western concept of population control“.
“As of the beginning of this month, items such as birth control pills and Depo-Provera injections are not allowed in the pharmacy, and we are too afraid to sell the stocks,” confirmed another Kabul shop owner.
Meanwhile, experts criticize the ban on contraceptives, explaining that their use “is sometimes medically necessary for maternal health.”
Since they seized power in the country more than a year ago, the Taliban have broken numerous promises regarding respect for women’s rights, which they have systematically excluded from public life.
In fact, most jobs are closed to women, who must wear Islamic dress in public, cannot attend gyms or parks, and have been excluded from education cycles secondary and higher.
“The Taliban’s control, not only of women’s human rights to work and study, but now also over their bodies, is outrageous,” laments Shabnam Nasimi, an Afghan-born social activist in the UK.
* The Taliban movement, designated a “terrorist organization” by the UN Security Council, is declared a terrorist group and banned in Russia.
* The Taliban movement, designated a “terrorist organization” by the UN Security Council, is declared a terrorist group and banned in Russia.
Source: RT
