According to Iraf, Fawzia Koofi, former member of the Afghan parliament, reacting to these developments, described the Taliban’s actions as part of a systematic campaign of pressure against women and said: “In recent days, the arrest of women in Herat province has increased, and in just the past two days alone more than 60 women have been arrested and transferred to Taliban detention centers on the pretext of improper hijab.”
Koofi stressed: “The type of women’s clothing is merely a pretext for the continuation of the Taliban’s war against women. Herat, with its cultural heritage and awareness, has been a symbol of civilization, and the women of this city have no need for moral instruction from a group of limited knowledge.” Koofi also called on the public to stand firm against this trend and said these actions are a sign of “the Taliban’s weakness and helplessness.”
Daoud Erfan, writer and social activist, also described these actions as “one of the Taliban’s most shameful behaviors” and said that the primary goal of these policies is not merely women’s clothing, but rather “the gradual erasure of women from the public sphere.”
He stated that the Taliban, based on a traditional and tribal worldview, does not accept the social presence of women and, by imposing restrictions in cities such as Herat, is seeking to break “the pride of urban and Persian-speaking communities” and consolidate its message of power. According to him, the Taliban also uses the issue of women as “a tool of political bargaining at the international level.”
Continuing these reactions, Mojeeb al-Rahman Rahimi, political activist, wrote: “The arrest, humiliation, and violent treatment of women cannot be justified by any religious, ethical, or human standard.”
He added that these actions must be assessed within the framework of “a systematic policy to erase women from society” and stressed: “These behaviors are neither compatible with Islam nor with the culture of the Afghan people.”
Lina Rozbe, Afghan journalist, referring to the situation of women in Herat, said: “Women in this city face severe mistreatment by the Taliban under the pretext of hijab.” She added that “the Taliban’s coercion cannot alter the social and cultural identity of Herat’s women.”
She also, in another part of her remarks, touched on the issue of local identity and said that some non-native individuals are attempting to present themselves as Heratis, while in her view “a genuine Herati would not support such behaviors.”
Meanwhile, Daoud Naji, political activist, described these actions as “shifting the boundaries of terror” and said: “The Taliban in Herat have once again demonstrated that Afghan women are the most defenseless targets of repressive policies.” He stressed: “The way to confront this situation is through serious resistance against these policies.”
Separately, Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reacting to the developments, said: “How do Taliban morality enforcers consider themselves entitled to arrest women by force in alleyways and bazaars?” He described these actions as part of “a targeted policy to eliminate women from society and create an atmosphere of fear.”
He stressed: “The arrest of women on account of their clothing is not a defense of religion and values — it is a tool for suppression, intimidation, and the spread of fear in society. We condemn these inhumane, unlawful, and anti-Islamic behaviors in the strongest possible terms.”
Reactions to the arrests of women continue to grow at a time when Seif al-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue, has denied any arrests in a radio interview and said: “These baseless rumors have been spread with political motives and for the purpose of targeting religious ordinances.”
