Afghanistan: Water cannons used on women in Herat

       Dozens of Afghan women voiced their protest against the beauty salon ban imposed by the Taliban on Wednesday (July 19).

       Security forces employed fire hoses, and tasers, and fired shots into the air to disperse the demonstrators.

       The Taliban justified their ban by claiming that salons provide services deemed forbidden by Islam and cause financial hardship for groom families during wedding celebrations.

       This ruling, originating from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, adds to the growing restrictions on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls.

       Prior edicts had already deprived them of access to education, public spaces, and most employment opportunities.

       READ MORE: World ‘sleepwalking into another 9/11’ warns exiled Afghan leader

       Dozens of Afghan women voiced their protest against the beauty salon ban (Image: Getty)

       In a rare display of public defiance against the Taliban's orders, numerous beauticians and makeup artists gathered in Kabul, the capital city, to protest the ban.

       One protester, identified as Farzana, expressed their demand for justice, work, food, and freedom.

       During the demonstration, the Taliban responded by spraying water and firing rifles into the air to disband the crowd. Despite this, Farzana urged the protesters to stay united and head to the UN mission in Afghanistan.

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       The protest persisted into the early afternoon until the Taliban intervened to disperse the crowd, using tasers on the demonstrators and arresting several protesters.

       As of now, there has been no immediate response from the Taliban-run government regarding the protest. However, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the Taliban's use of force to suppress the peaceful demonstration.

       In the meantime, the Taliban-run Ministry for Vice and Virtue, which had issued the ban on beauty salons in July, announced that they were destroying materials and instruments linked to "the promotion of music and corruption". Photos of bonfires were posted on Twitter as evidence of the action taken according to Islamic law (Sharia).

       The situation has drawn international concern as it reflects the ongoing challenges faced by Afghan women in their struggle for basic rights and freedoms under Taliban rule.

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