In Afghanistan, the Taliban have begun to mass annul divorce rulings involving underage girls and restore their marriages. These rulings were issued by courts under the previous government, reports the BBC.
In the three years since the Taliban came to power, Sharia courts have reinstated tens of thousands of marriages involving underage girls. Now, former husbands can easily restore their marriages by appealing to a Sharia court.
The BBC cites the example of an Afghan girl named Nazdana, who was married off at the age of 15. Her father agreed to the unequal marriage to "turn a family enemy into a friend."
Nazdana only managed to annul the marriage through the courts when she was 23 years old. However, after the Taliban came to power in 2021, her ex-husband Hikmatullah successfully appealed this decision. He filed an appeal, and the court ruled in his favor. Nazdana was not allowed to represent herself in court.
"The Taliban told me that I shouldn’t go to court because it contradicts Sharia. They said my brother should represent me," Nazdana said. Her family was also threatened that if they did not comply, she would be forcibly handed over to Hikmatullah. As a result, Nazdana and her family had to flee the country.
Since coming to power, the Taliban have been widely enforcing their interpretation of Sharia law across Afghanistan. They have systematically removed judges—both male and female—and replaced them with individuals who support their radical views.
Women have been deemed unfit to participate in the judicial system.
"Women do not have the qualifications and cannot be judges, as judicial work requires people with high intelligence according to the principles of Sharia," said Abdulrahim Rashid, Director of External Relations at the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 30, 2024