Scum of the world: Javed Akhtar condemns Taliban after new law allows beating wife
Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has strongly criticized the new penal code introduced in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan that allows domestic violence against women. She expressed concern about the legal sanctioning of abuse and its far-reaching impact on women’s safety and rights.
Javed Akhtar on Saturday reacted to the newly-introduced penal code in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, which has legalized wife beating without fracturing a bone, the veteran lyricist and screenwriter noted in an X post. Akhtar expressed displeasure over the new penal code, which states that a wife can be jailed if she visits her husband’s parents’ home without his permission. He urged religious leaders to condemn the penal code.
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penal Code Classifies society into several levelsPunishments vary depending on one’s position within the hierarchy. Under the 90-page document signed by the group’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, religious leaders have been placed at the top, followed by the elite, middle class and lower class.
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In another post, the screenwriter called Taliban the ‘scum of the world’.
The new system means that if a religious scholar commits an offence, the maximum consequence will be a warning or “admonishment”. Members of the social elite may receive counseling and potentially a court summons, while those in the middle class may face imprisonment. For the lower classes, punishment could include both imprisonment and corporal punishment.
In newly introduced code, Women were reportedly held on the same level as “slaves”, with provisions that allowed husbands or so-called “slave masters” to impose discretionary punishments, including physical beatings, on their wives or subordinates. This particular section has caused serious concern among human rights organizations.
Copies of the Criminal Code, Title De Mahakumu Jazai OsulnamaHave reportedly been distributed to courts throughout Afghanistan. Many civilians are said to be reluctant to openly discuss its contents for fear of Taliban retaliation. Reports also suggest that a separate directive criminalizes public discussion of the code itself.
Under the provisions, even in cases where a woman overcomes legal and social hurdles to prove serious assault by her husband, the maximum punishment she can reportedly receive is limited to 15 days in jail. Human rights experts further state that the Code does not explicitly outlaw or condemn physical, psychological or sexual violence against women.
