Taliban: Criticism of the principle of separation of spouses is “against Sharia”

Mawlawi Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, says that criticism of the principle of separation of spouses is irrelevant and contradicts the principles of Islam.

He emphasized that the Taliban’s laws and regulations are not against Islamic Sharia and that, according to Hanafi jurisprudence, the father has the right of guardianship over a minor child. According to Mujahid, the principle was formulated with the aim of facilitating judicial processes and resolving family disputes.

The Taliban spokesman also claimed that the group’s courts have handled thousands of cases related to forced marriage and family disputes in the past year.

Mujahid’s statements come at a time when a number of women’s rights activists and human rights organizations have considered some provisions of the principle to restrict the rights of women and children and have expressed concern about its consequences.