The Taliban banned the sale of contraceptives in major cities

The Afghan authorities have banned the sale of contraceptives in the country’s two largest cities – Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. The ruling group “Taliban” considers contraception part of the Western conspiracy to reduce the Muslim population of the planet.

As The Guardian writes, since the beginning of February, Taliban police have been bypassing pharmacies and gynecological offices in major cities. The police are ordering doctors and pharmacists to get rid of birth control pills, IUDs, and other contraceptives.

Medical workers report threats to their address if they continue to sell contraceptives. According to them, the Taliban accuse both pharmacists and women who use contraceptives of participating in a “Western conspiracy.”

The Ministry of Health of Afghanistan has not issued any order prohibiting contraception and does not comment on the situation.

According to a 2021 report by the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch, most Afghan women do not have access to information about contraception and pregnancy planning. from 61 to 72 percent of women either do not know about contraception or cannot afford it due to poverty.

Human rights activist Shabnam Nasimi emphasizes that the Koran does not prohibit contraception. On the contrary, Muslim theology approves for women “respites” between pregnancies, so that the mother has the opportunity to give a good upbringing to the already born children.

The representative of the “Taliban” in Kandahar, Usta Faridun, also told The Guardian that he does not support a complete ban on contraceptives, and that Sharia law approves their use in cases where it is necessary to preserve the health and life of a woman.

• After coming to power in August 2021, the Taliban promised to respect women’s rights, but soon began to introduce restrictions. In September 2021, they changed the rules for universities: men and women must study separately. In January 2023, the admission of women to state universities was prohibited. The Islamists liquidated the 20-year-old Ministry of Women’s Affairs, restricted access to school education for girls, forbade women to play sports, and forced TV presenters to wear the hijab.
• The Taliban movement is recognized as terrorist in many countries of the world, including Russia, but the Russian authorities maintain contacts with the Taliban at the official level.