What happens when religion is understood and enforced only through the thinking of men? Afghanistan is showing the world the painful answer.

In many traditional societies, boys are often taught that anger and aggression are signs of strength. When a boy fights or behaves harshly, people may praise him for being brave or “manly.” Instead of teaching him to control his anger, society sometimes rewards it. Over time, he may begin to believe that being a man means having power over everyone else.

This is how toxic masculinity grows—quietly, within families and communities. The situation becomes far more dangerous when this thinking is turned into government policy and national law.

Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have introduced more than 100 restrictions affecting Afghan women and girls, according to the article. Afghanistan is now the only country where girls are formally prevented from attending secondary schools and universities. Millions of girls remain outside education, while many women have also lost their jobs in journalism and other professions. Restrictions on women studying healthcare have further reduced the few career opportunities that were still available to them. 

Afghan women are not only being removed from classrooms and workplaces; they are gradually being pushed out of public life altogether.

The article also discusses a set of laws reportedly introduced in January 2026. It argues that these rules make it extremely difficult for women experiencing domestic violence to receive protection or justice. A woman may face punishment for leaving her husband’s home without permission, even when she is trying to escape abuse. Her relatives may also be punished for giving her shelter. ([Balochistan News][1])

Such laws send a deeply troubling message: that a man’s authority matters more than a woman’s safety.

This should not be confused with Islam. Islamic history includes respected and influential women. Hazrat Khadija was a successful businesswoman. Hazrat Aisha was a major scholar whose knowledge influenced generations, while Hazrat Fatima remains an important figure in Islamic history.

There is no religious justification for ignoring violence against women or denying them education, dignity and protection. The problem begins when men use religion to defend their own desire for control.

What is happening in Afghanistan is not simply religious conservatism. It is a system in which male power is treated as unquestionable, while women are denied a voice in decisions affecting their lives.

Despite these restrictions, Afghan women continue to resist. Some teach girls secretly inside homes. Others operate underground schools, radio programmes and online classrooms. The article cites UNESCO figures indicating that community-based education initiatives have reached tens of thousands of young people, most of them girls. 

Their resistance is not always loud or visible, but it is powerful. Every hidden classroom and every lesson shared through a phone is an act of courage.

A country cannot progress while silencing half of its population. A society cannot achieve genuine peace by keeping women afraid, uneducated and invisible. That is not peace—it is control.

Afghan women are not simply waiting for someone else to rescue them. They are already fighting for their rights in every way available to them. What they need is for the international community to continue paying attention, speaking out and taking meaningful action.

When toxic masculinity is presented as religion, faith becomes a tool of oppression. The world must learn to distinguish between religion itself and the actions of people who misuse it to justify power and violence.