Afghan women in traditional attire tell Taliban Burqa is not a part of Afghan culture

Following the Taliban’s re-accession to power, the Taliban’s all-male leadership has decided what women shall wear in public. They are functioning as self-proclaimed custodians of Afghan women, believing they have complete authority over them. They tell Afghan women to wear burqa.

But here we are asking a pertinent question, who decides what is appropriate attire for women? What constitutes that ‘appropriate’ attire? Anyone in their right mind will say, “only she can make the decision”. Unfortunately, men around the world dictate what is decent, proper, admissible, and allowed for women. Remember, we are just talking about the dress she wears, the list of men deciding on everything that women do is endless.

In a bold act of defiance, Afghan women took to Twitter to show the real Afghan culture by adorning their traditional attire. Dr Bahar Jalali, who started the first gender studies program in Afghanistan wore a traditional Afghan dress and proclaimed “This is Afghan culture. I am wearing a traditional Afghan dress”.

Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi, head of Afghan service at DW News joined Dr Jalali and repeated the chant “This is Afghan culture”

“…the black burqa has never been part of the Afghan culture”

Afghan men raised their voices in support of these women as well.

A glimpse of Afghan culture that is on a verge of collapse.

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Written by Prithiva Gupta