[Today's Prayer] Afghan women protests beauty salon ban … Taliban uses gun fire to disperse them

(Omitted)

According to AP and AFP news outlets on the 19th (local time), about 50 Afghan female hairdressers and others protested a beauty salon ban on Butcher Street, an area where hair salons are concentrated in the capital Kabul.

“We are here for justice,” said one protester, who introduced herself as Farzana. “We want work, food and freedom.” Other participants also held up signs reading 'Don't take my bread and water'.

However, Taliban security forces dispersed the protesters with water cannons and tasers. They also threatened the public shooting their guns into the air.

(Omitted)

On the 24th of last month, the Taliban Ministry of Interior issued a letter of a verbal order from the Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akundzada, ordering hair salons in all regions of the country to be closed within one month and to submit a report of closure. This is because applying makeup in a beauty salon is a luxury and causes economic hardship for poor families.

The Taliban also argued that beauty salons should be closed because procedures such as eyelash extensions do not conform to Islamic law and women do not properly follow prayer laws, including washing their face before prayer and touching their forehead to the ground when bowing due to makeup.

(Omitted)

After the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021, they made it compulsory for women to wear a burqa (Islamic clothing that covers the entire body with only the eyes open) and is increasing the intensity of oppression of women by prohibiting them from travelling alone without male relatives, higher education, economic activities, or entering public places.

Source: Yonhap News

Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. (Acts 9:32-35).

Lord God, we hear that many Afghan women are suffering because their basic freedoms have been violated by the Taliban, and they are protesting and fighting because of this.

Lord, we ask for Your mercy upon the Afghan people who are bound by false religion, oppressing and hurting themselves as they cannot love one another. Like Ania, bedridden with paralysis for eight years, these people are sick and dying without a healer for a long time.

No religion or law in this world can set them free, but we confess that our Lord Jesus is the God of power who can heal and restore the Afghan people once and for all.

Lord, would You lay Your hands on Afghanistan and command restoration. Would You touch the wounded hearts of women, and let those who have no freedom because of their zeal for religion and self-righteousness see Jesus Christ, our Saviour who died on the cross and rose again.

Before the love of the cross that loved the Afghans to the point of death, let them confess and be faithful that they would love only the Lord with all their lives!

When the Afghans return to the Lord, all nations will know that Jesus Christ is the Lord through Afghanistan. Would You use the Afghans as a channel of restoration that leads all nations to the Lord!