After the hasty withdrawal of the US forces from Afghan soil, and the subsequent takeover of the country by the Taliban, the group is now reportedly preparing a kill list of Afghan women involved in sex work. The insurgents are scouting porn websites to know those involved and their whereabouts.
As per a report by the Sun, the extremist Islamist group are now hell-bent on hunting down these prostitutes to publicly execute them or humiliate them. The report added that these women face an imminent threat of being gang-raped by Taliban militants before being beheaded, stoned or hung.
The report further states, “They (Taliban) pretend to condemn pornography but are digging deep into the most obscure and deeply-hidden adult sites to find videos that show Afghan brothels so they can identify and slaughter or enslave the women who worked in them. Because the videos show obvious location markers of the brothels, these women are now in serious danger of being kidnapped or murdered in the most horrific ways imaginable.”
The presence of some videos allegedly featuring Afghan women partaking in sexual intercourse with westerners, is “further raising the fury of the Taliban”.
The Taliban, known for their notorious ideology that promotes barbarism and extremism, swept into power on August 15, after nearly 20 years. During their previous reign from 1996 to 2001, they banned women from working. After coming into power two decades later, the Taliban has repeatedly said that this time women’s rights would be protected, and that they will be allowed to attend universities and schools. They have said that women’s rights will surely be protected, but in accordance with the Islamic law.
Read more: Fates Of Women And Religious Minorities Under The Taliban
However, the Taliban’s actions on the ground are far from their claims, as reports coming from the war-torn nation say that the group has already discouraged women from going to work, and have directed them not to step outside their homes without a male relative. This is reminiscent of their old tactics which clarify that “Taliban 2.0” is nothing but a gambit to get recognition both internationally and nationally by raising statements that are seemingly liberal.
Sex work in Afghanistan is illegal. Although the penal code does not specify the punishment, those guilty risk jail if caught. In June, human rights organisations said that there are hundreds of sex workers in Kabul. With this current development, the lives of these women hang in a dangerous balance.
