(MENAFN- Afghanistan Times) AT News
KABUL: Recently, a cleric in western Herat had banners
installed across the city promoting strict Muslim hijab for women. And since
the unveiling, Mawlawi Mujib Rahman Ansari has received a flurry of backlash
from the public.
Ansari, head of Herat's Gozargah mosque and a prominent
cleric in Herat city, has always been critical of women's dress code and has
been seen threatening to take matters into his own hands if authorities failed
to address an increasing disregard to compulsory hijab.
No reaction has so far been reported from the government of
Afghanistan, which prides itself on promoting modern values and women's
achievements.
But, some across the country have criticized the cleric on
social media for his move toward extremism and misogyny in these politically
tense times. Women have called on the government and law enforcement agencies
to prevent from the plague of fundamentalism and misogyny across Herat city.
A female student in Herat lashed out at cleric Rahmani's
self-styled promotion of Hijab and said that 'such behavior emanating from a
religious scholar is sinister in an Afghanistan which is a misogynist and
patriarchic society'.
Some scholars heaped scorns on the controversial banners, arguing
such vulgar and hideous homilies will not do anybody any good, rather they will
tarnish belief in religion and scholars and promote violence.
This is not the first time Rahmani has called for strict
hijab. In a Friday sermon, he had said women should stay at home and refrain
from outing except for emergency situations. In his other sermons, he said most
women will end up in hell.
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