Afghanistan Bans Driving by Female Foreign Aid Staff
The ruling Taliban’s religious police have ordered foreign women providing humanitarian aid in Afghanistan to stop driving on grounds that they are damaging the society, aid workers said Thursday.
The Foreign Ministry proclaimed the driving ban after it received a letter from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the aid workers said.
“It has been seen that some foreign women drive cars in the cities, which is against Afghan tradition and has a negative impact on the society,” said the letter issued May 24.
“Therefore, you [Foreign Ministry officials] are requested to inform the relevant foreign aid agencies that in the future foreign women must not drive cars and must observe the tradition of our country and abide by the regulations of the Islamic Emirate,” it added.
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