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Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2021 09:50:02 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_NORTHEAST_SA <sa.northeast@afg.ngosafety.org>
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Subject: INSO REPORT =?UTF-8?B?4oCTIEFGRyDigJM=?= NORTHEASTERN REGION: IEA
 Vice and Virtue Policy
To: Faisal Ahmadzai <faisal.ahmadzai@jack.ngo>

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				This report is for the exclusive use of INSO partners and must not be s=
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									<div><span style=3D"font-size:24.0pt; font-weight: bold; margin: 0=
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EPORT</span></div>
									<div><span style=3D"font-size:10.0pt; font-weight: bold; margin: 0=
; padding: 0; font-family:'Arial', sans-serif; color:#182748">&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ATTENTION RECOMMENDED</span></div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">LOCATION=
</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Afghanistan, Northeastern Regio=
n, Kunduz, Baghlan, Takhar, and Badakhshan provinces</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INCIDENT=
 TYPE</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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								IEA Vice and Virtue Policy								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">DATE & T=
IME</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								18/12/2021 14:15								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INFORMAT=
ION</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The IEA established departments=
 for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in all four provinces o=
f the Northeastern Region. In Baghlan Province, the department is headed by=
 Mawlawi Khalil, in Badakhshan Province by Mawlawi Shir Ahmad, in Kunduz Pr=
ovince by Mufti Mohammadullah, and in Takhar Province by Mawlawi Habibullah=
 Hanafi.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In Baghlan Province, the IEA has announ=
ced and enforced few official bans since 15 August. Music is allowed only d=
uring private events if the sound is not heard from outside the venue, whil=
e posters and commercial advertising portraying women have been covered and=
 forbidden. In the first weeks after the IEA takeover, travellers' mobile p=
hones were regularly checked at checkpoints for music and pictures that IEA=
 considers suspicious.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In Badakhshan Province, the IEA intermi=
ttently enforces a few vice and virtue rules. Playing music is forbidden, e=
ven in the case of private events. On 08 November, IEA members shot and fat=
ally wounded a young man who was listening to music in public in the Zargar=
an area of Iskhashim District. Furthermore, in Fayzabad City, the IEA force=
d the residents of certain neighbourhoods to abide by prayer schedules. IEA=
 patrols have verbally threatened women who were not observing a conservati=
ve dress code, while on 04 December, in PD 3 of Fayzabad City, IEA members =
physically assaulted and arrested an individual for transporting a woman wi=
thout a Mahram in his car. Additionally, the local security apparatus overs=
aw the covering of posters and commercial advertising portraying women.</di=
v>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In Kunduz Province, recent reports indi=
cate that IEA enforces a conservative ad-hoc social conduct policy onto the=
 residents, while no official bans were imposed. The Department for Promoti=
on of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has not banned any type of advertising,=
 and the murals painted during the former regime can still be seen in Kundu=
z City. However, the Department for Information and Culture plans to cover =
with paint any artistic manifestation not aligned with Sharia law.<br /><br=
 /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In Takhar Province, the Department for =
the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice made no official announcemen=
t regarding new behavioural policy, while in Taloqan City, local mullahs ar=
e verbally communicating the appropriate social conduct to residents. Local=
ly IEA-enforced behavioural rules include restrictions for men. At least tw=
o incidents were recorded regarding violations of the IEA-proposed regulati=
ons. On 11 September, IEA members physically assaulted an individual for sm=
oking in the Sarak-e Sherkat area in PD 2 of Taloqan City, while on 28 Nove=
mber, IEA forces physically assaulted several residents for trimming their =
beards in Kalafgan District.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In Taloqan City, IEA members in checkpo=
ints, markets, and on alleys, while patrolling, continue to check residents=
&rsquo; mobile phones for the content they deem inappropriate, including mu=
sic or photos. Anecdotal reports indicate that the security forces applied =
physical punishments and confiscated the devices. Furthermore, the IEA forb=
ade posters and announcements containing images or pictures, even in the ca=
se of funerals and mourning announcements. Barbershops and sports clubs mus=
t remove any commercial advertising or graphic representations.</div>						=
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ANALYSIS=
</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">IEA-promoted policy on vice and=
 virtue matters has not been implemented uniformly in the provinces of the =
Northeastern Region. The incidents recorded since the establishment of the =
new administration indicate that IEA members enforce a stricter implementat=
ion mechanism of the newly required social conduct in Badakhshan and Takhar=
 provinces. In Baghlan and Kunduz provinces, residents enjoy a greater degr=
ee of tolerance for potential violations of the locally promoted IEA regula=
tions.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">As of the time of writing, local admini=
strations have not issued written official bans on behavioural habits, howe=
ver, local mullahs announced several restrictions in urban areas. The uncer=
tainty regarding the vice and virtue policy enabled individual IEA rank and=
 file members to declare and impose tailored restrictions in encounters wit=
h residents.<br /><br />IEA members continue to occasionally enforce a stri=
ct interpretation of Sharia law regarding women's freedom of movement and d=
ress code. On 26 August, IEA members verbally threatened a woman for crossi=
ng through the Pul-e Shahrawan area in PD 1 of Taloqan City without being a=
ccompanied by Mahram. Furthermore, on 04 December, IEA members physically a=
ssaulted three women in Yangi Qala District for crossing through the area w=
ithout being accompanied by Mahram. On 08 December, IEA verbally threatened=
 three women for alleged inappropriate dress code, asking them to wear the =
burqa. No restrictions have been reported regarding women's right to drive =
vehicles.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Based on the inconsistent application o=
f rules and policies regarding civilian behaviour across the region, provin=
cial authorities likely enjoy some level of independence in the interpretat=
ion and implementation of social conduct restrictions. The provincial depar=
tments of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice represent a recent add=
ition to the local IEA administrative system, without an established policy=
 and communication strategies. Both the bans and their respective enforceme=
nt mechanisms remain unclear and punitive measures against alleged violator=
s are applied irregularly.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The IEA did not yet create a structure =
responsible for the enforcement of vice and virtue-related rules. While the=
 appointment of personnel for the provincial departments of Promotion of Vi=
rtue and Prevention of Vice is pending, recent reports suggest the IEA secu=
rity apparatus is largely de-facto enforcing the above-mentioned regulation=
s. Since 15 August, IEA continued to train recruits to increase the manpowe=
r and capabilities of the security forces. However, there were no known rec=
ruitments or assignments of police units, and law enforcement has been larg=
ely carried out by IEA members that seem to have limited policing experienc=
e, having just recently transitioned from warfare to law enforcement. This =
generates a consistent risk to civilians, encounters with whom IEA members =
may perceive as potentially hostile situations resulting in the escalation =
of force against alleged perpetrators.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Sanctions against civilians violating t=
he local rules or IEA perception of appropriate behaviour have largely been=
 inconsistent throughout the Northeastern Region, ranging from verbal warni=
ngs in Kunduz Province to physical violence in Badakhshan and Takhar provin=
ces. The nature of the violation and the level of local acceptance that the=
 IEA enjoys in the area are likely to dictate the severity of the punishmen=
ts. The lack of official restrictions is also a factor that enables IEA to =
unevenly enforce behavioural norms. While in Kunduz Province music is allow=
ed at private events, in Takhar Province the ban on playing music is strict=
ly enforced, with residents physically assaulted by IEA members on several =
occasions. Additionally, Takhar is the only province to have recorded incid=
ents as a result of enforcing the ban on shaving. <br /><br />In Badakhshan=
 Province, despite the lack of announced official bans, IEA is reported to =
enforce vice and virtue rules. Verbal threats, fines, and physical punishme=
nts are common for residents who do not abide by IEA-promoted social conduc=
t in Yawan, Raghestan, Kohistan, and Kofab districts. The erratic behaviour=
 of IEA members regarding the enforcement of known vice and virtue-related =
regulations is likely to continue in the absence of a consolidated publicly=
 backed by the provincial departments of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention=
 of Vice.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The local IEA security forces implement=
 strict conservative behavioural rules in most districts of Takhar Province=
. Playing music is forbidden under the new auspices, and several incidents =
were recorded as a result of residents breaching the locally IEA-enforced r=
ules. At least three incidents were recorded when IEA members physically as=
saulted civilians for playing music, including two cases when music was pla=
yed during a wedding party at a private residence.</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In several areas of Taloqan City, the I=
EA compelled residents to participate in prayers. At 1300 hrs on 13 Decembe=
r, IEA members have forced shop owners to close and attend the prayer in th=
e Bandar-e Sarai Sang area of PD 1 and Markit-e Qatagha area of PD 2, and r=
esidents, who did not participate, were threatened. In Saraysang, Bagnak, a=
nd Nahr-e Chaman areas, recent reports indicate the existence of a system o=
f mosque attendance sheets, however, the IEA did not enforce the rule. Anec=
dotal reports suggest the IEA will impose an AFN 500 fine for residents who=
 do not attend the prayers.</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ADVICE</=
div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Equally to other civilians, NGO=
 staff may face ad-hoc enforcement of the IEA&rsquo;s perception of sociall=
y-acceptable behavioural norms, including, but not limited to common activi=
ties such as attending hair salons and barbershops in addition to participa=
tion in private events such as weddings.<br /><br />NGOs are advised to con=
stantly inform their staff members of the most recent updates regarding the=
 IEA-promoted vice and virtue regulations. Furthermore, NGOs may engage wit=
h their respective Departments of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vic=
e to ensure constant awareness of existing behavioural restrictions.<br /><=
br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGO staff are advised to avoid being in=
 the presence of other civilians that openly disregard the IEA-imposed and =
enforced social conduct as this might result in scrutiny against them.</div=
>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ISSUED B=
Y</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">SA Northeast, Eliade Al-Hamdoun=
i<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;"><a title=3D"mailto:sa.northeast@afg.ngo=
safety.org" href=3D"mailto:sa.northeast@afg.ngosafety.org">sa.northeast@afg=
.ngosafety.org</a></div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INSO SER=
IAL #</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								AFGHANISTAN/NORTHEAST/R/18122021/#001								</div>
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rial', sans-serif; color:white; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;=
">
				INSO exists to provide dedicated security services to the NGO community=
. As a free service, INSO and its donors or partners, accept no liability w=
hatsoever for claims as may result from the provision or utilisation of the=
se free services. Whilst every effort is made to the verify data, INSO cann=
ot guarantee the accuracy of information provided. Reproduction of INSO inf=
ormation is prohibited.									<br>
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