Afghanistan’s Taliban announced the decision to forbid women from universities on December 20. Some 50 women dressed in hijabs, some wearing masks, gathered in Kabul for a peaceful protest march. But they were attacked and dispersed by Taliban security forces, participants and witnesses tell RFE/RL. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says foreigners should stop interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. The Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia voiced “astonishment and regret” at the Taliban’s decision.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the ban was “neither Islamic nor humane”. German foreign minister said gender persecution could amount to a crime against humanity.
