The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV) has distributed questionnaires to teachers and students in Kabul schools, asking about their compliance with their interpretation of Islamic law, sources said.
A copy of the questionnaire reviewed by Amu includes questions on wearing the Taliban-mandated hijab, performing congregational prayers, grooming practices in line with religious traditions, the role of the ministry’s inspectors, and issues such as bribery, drug use and sorcery. Respondents are asked to answer “yes” or “no” and explain reasons for noncompliance. They are also required to provide their names and the location of their schools.
The questionnaire cites elements of the Taliban’s law on the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, which was endorsed by the group’s leader in August last year. Taliban officials, including the supreme leader, have repeatedly stressed the importance of enforcing the law, which rights groups say has tightened restrictions on women’s education, work and freedom of movement.
Some women and girls in Kabul told Amu that increased monitoring under the law has made life more difficult. “We Afghan women are exhausted by the Taliban’s endless decrees,” said one Kabul resident. “The new rules have trapped women and made living in this country unbearable.”
Earlier, the ministry’s Directorate of Invitation and Guidance required employees of ministries to take a compulsory religious exam as part of its enforcement measures.
