A video reportedly sent to local media from Tirin Kot Baghlan shows Taliban members detaining several women in a market area during Eid shopping preparations.
According to information accompanying the footage, the incident allegedly involved members of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, commonly known as Amr bil Marof forces. The women were reportedly stopped while visiting the market for shopping ahead of Eid.
The video appears to show armed Taliban members striking and pushing women in public before forcing them into a Ranger vehicle and taking them to a local station. In some scenes, Taliban personnel can be seen using sticks and physical force while moving the women toward the vehicle.
Sources familiar with the incident claim that the detentions were linked to restrictions imposed under the Taliban’s morality laws. Under these regulations, women face limitations regarding travel, public movement, and market access without a male guardian.
The footage has circulated on social media and through local news channels.
In recent months, similar reports have emerged from different parts of Afghanistan concerning the enforcement of morality regulations by Amr bil Marof units, particularly involving women in public spaces.
What is Amr bil Marof?
Amr bil Marof, also known as the “Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,” is a department operated by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The term comes from an Arabic Islamic phrase meaning “promoting virtue and preventing vice.” The ministry is responsible for enforcing the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic moral and social laws in public spaces. Its officers monitor issues such as dress codes, women’s movement, public behavior, prayer attendance, and gender segregation. Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the ministry has expanded its role across different provinces, often through patrols and inspections in markets, streets, and public areas.
Origin of "Amr bil Marof wa Nahi anil Munkar"
The phrase “Amr bil Marof wa Nahi anil Munkar” comes from the teachings of Islam found in the Qur'an and the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In Arabic, the phrase means: “Enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.” The concept is mentioned multiple times in the Qur’an, especially in Surah Aal-e-Imran.
In Surah Aal-e-Imran (3:104), Allah says:
Let there arise among you a group inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. And those will be the successful.
Another verse, Surah Aal-e-Imran (3:110), states:
You are the best nation produced for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.
The principle is also mentioned in the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 49 (Book of Faith), narrated by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (ra), the Prophet (pbuh) said:
Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart and that is the weakest of faith.
Sources
The thumbnail image used for this article is representational and not the actual photo of the event.
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