Taliban on Thursday condemned comments by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called their ban on women working for the United Nations “stupid” and “intolerable.”
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesman, described Guterres’ remarks as “irresponsible.” He said the UN leader “should be careful with his words and avoid using inappropriate language.”
Mujahid insisted that restrictions on women and men in Afghanistan are based on Islamic law and should be judged only within that framework. “If someone does not have knowledge of Sharia law, that is their problem. Instead of blaming others, they should increase their understanding,” he said.
Taliban recently extended their restrictions on women working for nongovernmental organizations to include the United Nations, barring Afghan women from humanitarian jobs. The move has drawn sharp criticism from UN member states and human rights groups, who say the ban worsens an already dire humanitarian crisis.
On Tuesday, Guterres told reporters that excluding women from aid delivery was not only “inhumane” but also “terribly detrimental to the whole population of Afghanistan.” He said the UN and the international community are doing everything possible to convince the Taliban to allow women to work in humanitarian roles.
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions depending on international aid for survival.
