Taliban's segregation rules for Afghanistan's amusement parks: men on 4 days, women on 3

Last month, the Taliban banned its members to enter amusement parks with weapons and military fatigue, in what appeared to be another attempt to soften their image amid the group’s quest for international recognition.

The Taliban has reportedly enforced gender segregation in amusement parks of Afghanistan, with men and women banned from visiting on the same day. While men will be allowed to visit amusement parks from Wednesday to Saturday, women can go there during the rest of the week, news agency Sputnik reported saying the move will further enforce gender segregation rules in Afghanistan.

Taliban fighters talk to a man riding a motorcycle with his children as they visit the amusement park at Kabul’s Qargha reservoir, Afghanistan. (Reuters / File)

Last month, the Taliban members were banned to carry their weapons to amusement parks, in what appeared to be another attempt to soften their image amid the group’s quest for international recognition. Soon after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in mid-August, pictures of their fighters taking joy rides in amusement parks had surfaced.

"Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are not allowed to enter amusement parks with weapons, military uniforms and vehicles," the Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on Twitter.

"(They) are obliged to abide by all the rules and regulations of amusement parks."

The Taliban had earned notoriety for imposing harsher interpretation of Sharia law the last they ruled Afghanistan between 1996-2001. While the Sunni Pashtun group is trying to present a more moderate face to the world, it is yet to fulfil many of the promises it made before taking complete control of Afghanistan.

Multiple rights groups have said that the Taliban began enforcing strict Islamic laws across Afghanistan after returning to power in August.

The group earlier issued a decree banning female students above the sixth standard from attending schools. The decree triggered protests as dozens of female students took to the streets of Kabul demanding the Taliban regime to withdraw its decision. The protestors, chanting the slogans of "education is our absolute right", called for the reopening of schools for girls across Afghanistan, Tolo News reported.