Mick Hartley

Why do the Taliban insist on forcing women to wear the hijab, and deny them an education? They have no choice: it's written in Allah's book:

"There comes some suspicion in one's heart about why the Islamic Emirate is doing this. It does not reopen schools, does not allow co-education for women, has imposed so many hijab restrictions, does not allow women in government departments…Why does it not allow women into ministries unless they cover their head and face? And why don't you see the national interest?

"[The answer is that] we are all Muslims. To us, Allah's religion is the most important thing. Had the Islamic Emirate considered the development and civilization of people as their real aim, then there would have been no need for war to begin with. [We could have] handed Osama [Bin Laden] over to them, and given women freedom like they demand now. The [governmental] system was already there – why was it necessary to [sacrifice] hundreds of thousands of martyrs?

Allah's religion does not allow us to accept what those infidels want. The hijab is commanded by Allah's book. 'O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believers' women to veil themselves.' This is commanded by Allah's book.

"Now, the infidels ask us not to declare the hijab mandatory for women and to accept this. If we accept their demands, Allah's book says [to implement] hijab, while the infidels say [to not do so]. We have an obligation. We are Muslims and we claim [to establish] an Islamic system. We are obligated to force women to wear the hijab."

Lovely turban.

The "development and civilization of people" is not their aim. Their aim is to establish an Islamic system.