KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Bamyan province has arrested a driver, six hoteliers, and bakers for alleged violations of Islamic law and regulations imposed by the group.
On Wednesday, February 18, the department issued a statement saying that the driver was sent to prison after repeated warnings for transporting women without a male guardian (mahram, a male relative whom women are religiously allowed to travel with). The statement added that Taliban officials had repeatedly informed drivers that “under Sharia law, transporting unrelated women or sitting alone with them is considered against religious rules.” The department emphasized: “Anyone who continues to violate these recommendations after repeated religious advisories will face legal action according to Sharia principles and laws.”
Since regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed extensive restrictions on women’s participation in public life. These rules prohibit women from traveling without a male guardian, restrict access to healthcare without a male companion, and limit women’s access to education, work, and social spaces. Similar arrests of drivers transporting women without a guardian have occurred in other provinces as well.
In a separate action on the same day, six hoteliers and bakers were detained for “disrespecting the month of Ramadan” (Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting from dawn to sunset) and “disobeying prior instructions.” The department had previously instructed hoteliers not to prepare or serve food publicly from dawn until 3:30 p.m., to ensure the sanctity of Ramadan. Authorities added that travelers coming from distant provinces should bring their own food and eat in private.
The Taliban declared that day as the beginning of Ramadan, though some Shia (Shia, one of the two main branches of Islam, predominantly in Afghanistan’s Hazara community) religious scholars have said that the first day of the holy month for Shia Muslims will be the following day. This discrepancy means some Shia followers may not have fasted on the same day as Sunni (Sunni, the other main branch of Islam, majority in Afghanistan) Muslims. Historically, there have been disagreements in Afghanistan between Shia and Sunni communities over the start of Ramadan and Eid celebrations. In previous years, the Taliban have attempted to enforce uniform observance, even forcing Shia Muslims to break their fast or participate in group prayers during Eid against their customary practices.
Similarly, three months ago, a teacher at a Shia seminary in Daikundi Province said the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice was increasing pressure on Shia institutions. He told KabulNow that ministry officers regularly entered student dormitories without permission, questioned students over beard length, and insisted that long beards are mandatory—an interpretation he said differs from Shia religious views. He also alleged that officers removed photos of Shia scholars and confiscated some textbooks after inspecting the seminary.
The report highlights ongoing religious enforcement by the Taliban, which, alongside the recent arrests in Bamyan, points to broader restrictions affecting both women and minority religious communities.
These recent arrests illustrate the Taliban’s continued enforcement of strict social and religious codes, particularly targeting women’s mobility, public behavior, and observance of religious practices, often conflicting with local customs, minority interpretations of Islam, and international human rights standards.
