Taliban ban women from parks, funfairs

The Taliban have banned Afghan women from entering the capital’s public parks and funfairs, just months after ordering access to be segregated by gender.

The new rule, introduced this week, further squeezes women out of an ever-shrinking public space that already sees them banned from traveling without a male escort and forced to wear a hijab or burqa whenever out of the home.

“For the past 15 months, we tried our best to arrange and sort it out and even specified the days,” said Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue spokesman Mohammad Akif Sadeq Mohajir on Wednesday.

“But still, in some places – in fact, we must say in many places – the rules were violated.

“There was mixing (of men and women), hijab was not observed, that’s why the decision has been taken for now.”

The news was met with dismay by women and park operators who invested heavily in developing the facilities.

“There are no schools, no work ... we should at least have a place to have fun,” said one mother, who asked to be identified only as Wahida, as she watched her children play in a park through the window of an adjoining restaurant.

“We are just bored and fed up with being at home all day, our minds are tired.”

A few kilometres away, the Ferris wheel and most of the other rides in Zazai Park have ground to a sudden halt because of a lack of business.

Before this week’s ban, it could accommodate hundreds of visitors on days when women brought their children for family gatherings.

Habib Jan Zazai, co-developer of the complex, fears he may have to close down a business that he has poured US$11 million (RM52 million) into.

“Without women, the children will not come alone.”