President Karzai proposes to reestablish the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice

August 15, 2006

On July 18, President Hamid Karzai’s cabinet asked the Afghan Parliament’s approval to reestablish the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.  Parliament is now considering resurrecting the department that is synonymous with the Taliban regime.  While government officials claim that the new office will direct its focus on combating drugs, crime, and corruption, criminal laws already exist within Afghanistan that deal with such matters.  What is troublesome is the lack of clarification as to what kind of enforcement powers this new department will possess.

This proposal is a direct assault on the remarkable strides Afghan women have made in the last five years. 

The Taliban’s Department for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice forced both women and men to adhere to strict religious dress codes.  Women were prevented from seeking employment.  They were denied any access to educational opportunities.  In addition, women were prohibited for traveling outside the home unless accompanied by a male relative.  Women found in violation of these regulations were imprisoned, publicly beaten, and even executed in Kabul stadium. 

Please contact the following offices and ask them to defeat President Karzai’s proposal to reestablish the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

For more information, please contact Miki Jacevic at 202.403.2008 or at Miki_Jacevic@huntalternatives.org.

Afghan Government:

President Hamid Karzai care of Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad
Afghan Ambassador to the United States
The Embassy of Afghanistan
Tel: 202.483.6410
Fax: 202.483.6480

Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad
Afghan Ambassador to the United States
The Embassy of Afghanistan
Tel: 202.483.6410
Fax: 202.483.6480

Dr. Rangin Dadfur Spanta
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan
Tel: 011.9370.104.005

Yunus Qanooni
Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga, Afghan National Assembly
Email: y.qanooni@wj.nationalassembly.af

Mohammed Arif Nurzai
Deputy Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga, Afghan National Assembly
Email: m.nurzai@wj.nationalassembly.af

Fawzia Koofi
Second Deputy Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga, Afghan National Assembly
Email: f.koofi@wj.nationalassembly.af

Shukria Barakzai
Parliamentarian, Afghan National Assembly
Email: sh.barakzai@wj.nationalassembly.af


US Government
Nicholas Burns
Under Secretary for Political Affairs
Office of Political Affairs
US Department of State
Tel: 202.647.1598
Fax: 202.647.4780

Donald Camp
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of South Asian Affairs
US Department of State
Tel: 202.736.4331
Fax: 202.647.6640

Ronald E. Neumann
US Ambassador to Afghanistan
US Department of State
Tel: 011.93.20.230.0496
Fax: 011.93.20.230.1364

European Union
Karl Hobo
Head of European Commission Delegation to Afghanistan
European Union
Tel: 011.322.473.0045
Fax: 011.322.473.0046

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