Taliban Militants Ban Contraceptive Sell in Afghanistan; Term them Part of “Western Conspiracy”

Taliban fighters have banned the sale of contraceptives in major cities of Afghanistan, reported The Guardian. Taliban members termed contraceptive use as a western conspiracy to control the Muslim population.

Taliban members are moving door to door threatening midwives and pharmacies to refrain from providing birth control medicines and devices like condoms to anyone. Medicine shops have been threatened by gun-wielding Taliban members. They are also regularly checking if any medicine shop is hiding contraceptives. This is continuing even in the capital city of Kabul.

A veteran midwife, who did not want to be named, was reported to be saying that she had been threatened several times. She said she was told by a Taliban commander that “you are not allowed to go outside and promote the western concept of controlling population and this is unnecessary work”.

It is the latest attack on women’s rights by the Taliban. They have ended higher education for girls, closed universities to young women, forced women out of their jobs, and restricted their ability to leave their homes. Restricting contraceptives will be a significant blow in a country with an already fragile healthcare system.