The news from Afghanistan — or at least the news that can be gleamed and pieced together through the screen of censorship imposed by the Taliban regime — is alarming.
In early June, Taliban authorities detained at least 30 women in the western city of Herat over alleged violations of dress-code rules, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
The arrests triggered rare protests in Injil district, a predominantly Shiite area of Herat, a community already facing insecurity and discrimination at the hands of the extremist Sunni regime.
Taliban forces responded with violence, shooting at protesters, according to UNAMA and human rights groups. At least two people were killed, including a child, and more than 20 others were injured.
The Taliban have rejected reports of the arrests. But the news has sparked anger among women's rights activists and renewed concern about the regime's ever-expanding control on women and public spaces.
