Elif Shafak, the renowned author of The Forty Rules of Love, strongly criticized the Taliban courts’ penal code, describing it as “terrible” and stating it places women in the rank of slaves. Writing on Instagram, she argued that this law turns husbands into “slave owners” and paves the way for domestic violence, sexual abuse, and even femicide.
Shafak, one of the few global literary figures constantly speaking out on Afghan women’s plight, criticized the international community’s silence regarding this tragedy. She warned that the Taliban have divided society into “upper and lower” classes and that the world must not ignore the consequences of this gender apartheid.
The code, ratified last month by Hibatullah Akhundzada, prescribes different punishments based on social class. Shafak’s comments reflect the deep concern of human rights activists who believe that women in Afghanistan under the Taliban have lost all fundamental rights.
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