US Ambassador at UN: Hijab ruling ‘unconscionable’

KABUL (TOLOnews): US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield in reaction to the Islamic Emirate’s new ruling on women’s hijab said “what they did today is unconscionable.”
Greenfield said the Islamic Emirate will be judged by their actions “not their words.”
The Islamic Emirate announced new rules regarding women’s covering or hijab on Saturday, saying it will be implemented in two steps — encouragement and punishment – and defining the types of dress that women will need to wear when stepping out of home.
“It shows again what the Taliban are capable of. We said from day one. We will judge them by their actions not their words. And these actions on Mother’s Day, I think, sends a very chilling message across the world. We have done everything possible to support Afghan women and will continue to call out the Taliban for their actions, both the United States but also in my role in the Security Council as president of the Security Council. What they did today is unconscionable, and I am sure that we can expect more from them and it just redoubles our commitment to supporting Afghan women.”
This comes as the European Union Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, said on Twitter that in his meeting with the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, he “first of all raised the importance of opening secondary schools for girls, the EU’s concern about Taliban imposed face-covering veils for women, and the Taliban’s suggestion that the best place for women is at home, although domestic violence is rising.”
The US special envoy Thomas West tweeted “deep concern” over the recent decision on women’s hijab, saying this combined with the girls’ school ban, “restrictions on freedom of movement,” “targeting” of protesters is an “affront” to human rights and would negatively impact relations with the international community.
This comes as some women-supporting organizations at a gathering in Kabul protested the new decision of the Islamic Emirate about the women’s hijab. They released a statement in which they urged the Islamic Emirate to reconsider the decision about women’s hijab.
“The Afghan women never oppose hijab. But this decision is made by men about the hijab of women in a gathering where there are no women,” said Navida Khurasani, a female rights activist. This comes as the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly called on the international community to recognize the current Afghan government.