The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Minister of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and Fariduddin Mahmood, the head of the Taliban Academy, citing violations of human rights and the suppression of women and girls.
In a statement released on Friday, December 8, the department stated that Khalid Hanafi has committed serious human rights violations since the year 1400, including murder, kidnapping, flogging, and beating individuals.
According to the department, Fariduddin Mahmood, the head of the Taliban Academy, is also among the architects and main supporters of the ban on the education of girls beyond the sixth grade.
Based on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s statement, members of the Taliban’s Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice administration, under Hanafi’s supervision, have subjected protesters against restrictions on activities and women’s rights, including their education, to assault.
However, the Taliban spokesperson has condemned this action by the U.S. government and stated that applying pressure and sanctions is not a solution to any problem.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, wrote on his social media page: “While the United States itself, due to its support for Israel, is one of the biggest violators of human rights, accusing others of human rights violations and then imposing sanctions on them is unjustifiable and irrational.”
According to him, the United States has an “unsuccessful” history of such actions and should not repeat its unsuccessful experiences.
These individuals are included in a list of recent sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury against several countries, and this list includes names of officials from the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Iran, Liberia, China, South Sudan, and Uganda.
It has been over two years since the Taliban closed the doors of higher-grade schools and universities to women and girls.
Despite repeated requests from the people of Afghanistan and the world, the group has not reopened the gates of educational institutions to women, stating that the conditions for women to attend schools and universities are still not favorable.
In the latest case, sixth-grade female students bid farewell to their educational journey with tears and sorrow at the end of this year.
