Resuming 'Rule by Fear'... Taliban Declares Punishments Enforced According to Islamic Law

Extreme Punishment Method 'Hudud', Emphasis on Implementing Quranic Punishment Principle 'Qisas'
Growing Criticism of Women's Rights Suppression Including Ban on Middle and High School Girls Attending School

More than 30 Afghan women held a protest on the 18th of last month (local time) in front of Kabul University in the capital, Kabul, against the university's decision to evict female students from the dormitory. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] The Taliban, the ruling power in Afghanistan, has ordered the judiciary to strictly enforce Islamic law, Sharia. Since regaining power in August last year, the Taliban had shown conciliatory gestures, but concerns are rising that they might revert to the reign of terror seen during their first rule (1996?2001).

According to recent reports from AFP and The Guardian, Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada instructed judges on the 12th (local time) in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, to implement punishments according to Sharia. Leader Akhundzada emphasized, "For theft, kidnapping, incitement, and other crimes, after thorough investigation, if all conditions of Sharia are met, it is the responsibility to enforce Hudud and Qisas punishments. This is a decision of Sharia, my order, and an obligation."

Hudud refers to Islamic punishments for serious crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, and adultery, involving extreme penalties like beheading, stoning, amputation of hands and feet, and flogging, which have been criticized as human rights violations. Qisas is a principle of punishment from the Quran (Islamic scripture), known for the concept of proportional retaliation, famously expressed as "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." However, few Islamic countries apply these punishments in their original form.

During the Taliban's first rule, public executions were carried out in large stadiums or mosques (Islamic temples), but since their return to power in August last year, there have been no officially recorded cases of extreme punishments such as public executions.

Political expert Rahima Popalzai told AFP, "If the Taliban truly intend to implement Hudud and Qisas, their goal is to recreate the fear that had gradually disappeared from Afghan society. The Taliban aim to establish a theocratic regime and strengthen religious identity among Muslim countries."

Recently, the Taliban have faced criticism for suppressing women's rights, including restricting their right to education. Although the Taliban government promised several times to respect women's rights at the beginning of their return to power, they completely banned female students from attending middle and high schools in March. More recently, citing improper adherence to Sharia, they barred women from entering amusement parks, gyms, and public bathhouses. Additionally, women are prohibited from traveling long distances without a male guardian, and wearing clothing that fully covers the face has been made mandatory for women.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.