The Taliban government has begun recruiting 200 new inspectors for its religious police, the feared force responsible for strict enforcement of Islamic law and punishment, through an intensive process that includes written exams and Islamic studies.
The ombudsmen or inspectors of the force that depends on the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice will be assigned to the surveillance of some twenty districts of Kabul, the authorities reported Thursday.
“Ombudsmen must have 8 years of religious studies, including understanding the interpretation of the Koran, Hadith and other religious books,” Mohammad Sadiq Akif Mahajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Vice Prevention, told EFE.
So far, 256 candidates for the province of Kabul have taken the written test, the first selection phase in which the level of training of the applicants is evaluated, and “after passing the written test, the candidate must also pass the test verbally,” he explained.
“In the verbal exam, their presentation and communication skills will be tested to assess whether the candidate can give good advice and sermons, as well as the ability to convince people,” he added.
The Taliban’s ombudsmen have a fundamental role in the execution and follow-up of the guidelines of the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on dress, behavior, music and social life in general.
These ombudsmen, dressed in white coats and with guns drawn, patrol the city checking cars for any deviation from the ministry’s restrictions, such as not allowing women to travel alone with taxi drivers or without veils.
Mohammad Sadiq further explained that ombudsmen must also have “honesty and mercy”, and after joining the job, “the way they treat people will also be watched.”
“The work of the ombudsman is clear, which is the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice in society. Virtue is the action recommended by Sharia, and vices are the prohibited action,” he stated.
Since returning to power in August 2021 after their victory in the war, the Taliban have been reinstating the terrifying norms of their first regime, with a rigid interpretation of Islam and their strict social code known as Pashtunwali.
