Prostitution in Afghanistan
Encyclopedia
Prostitution in Afghanistan
is illegal, with punishments ranging from 5 to 15 years imprisonment. Despite being deeply religious and one of the most conservative
countries in the world, where sex outside marriage
is against the law, some prostitution
activities are reported in the capital Kabul
as well as in the Mazar-e-Sharif area in the north of the country. Females from Iran
, Tajikistan
, China
, and possibly Uganda
and other countries are imported for prostitution into Afghanistan
. According to the Afghan Interior Ministry's department of sexual crime
s, about 2 to 3 prostitution arrest
s were made each week in the nation between 2007 and 2008.
Prostitution also existed under the former Taliban regime, which was a government that followed a very strict interpretation of the Islam
ic Sharia
law. Melissa Ditmore reports in Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work that during their rule the traffic in women for prostitution thrived. Prostitutes mostly worked from their houses termed as Qalas and in Kabul there were 25 to 30 hidden brothels.
under the Afghan penal code and subject to minimum 5 years imprisonment. Prostitution was even more strictly prohibited under the rule of the Taliban, with those thought of having extramarital sex
risking extrajudicial killing by cultural fundamentalists
and Islamists
.
transit Afghanistan en route to Pakistan. Afghan women as well as boys and girls among recently returned refugees from neighboring countries were reported to be forced into prostitution, a number of children were also reported being sold into it by their family.
A 2007 University of Manitoba
report suggests that there may be about 900 female prostitutes in Kabul, which is a city with a population of over 3 million. About two to three prostitution arrests were made between 2007 and 2008 each week in Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry's department of sexual crimes.
According to Afghan traditions, the shame of prostitution is so intense that sometimes those involved in such activities are assassinated by the many religious extremists found throughout the country or in some cases by family members.
s, sometimes run by foreigners or by the mafia
, manage to exist in several cities of the country by paying bribes to police officers
who come to raid them. There are reports of a couple of brothels in northern Afghanistan, in and around the Mazar-i-Sharif area of Balkh Province
.
The capital Kabul saw an extraordinary number of Chinese
brothels ("Chinese restaurants") opened in the four years following the fall of the Taliban regime. Four years later a series of police raids reduced the brothels to 3 which caters, according to Reuters, to a mainly high-income international clientele as Afghan aren't generally accepted in or, according to USA Today, to mostly Afghan men.
) beginning to be practiced in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Mut'ah is a fixed-term marriage
practiced mainly in neighboring Shia-majority Iran
but is rejected by the majority Sunni
Muslim
s of Afghanistan and the rest of the world.
A number of Shia Afghan women and girls are trafficked within the country or to regional countries for mut'ah.
so instead of females good looking boys are used. "Bacha bereesh" (meaning "boys without beards" in Persian
) who dance to entertain men at private parties, are reported in Afghanistan, especially in the north of the country. Wealthy and powerful patrons, sometimes warlord
s sexually exploit them
.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
is illegal, with punishments ranging from 5 to 15 years imprisonment. Despite being deeply religious and one of the most conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
countries in the world, where sex outside marriage
Fornication
Fornication typically refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other. For many people, the term carries a moral or religious association, but the significance of sexual acts to which the term is applied varies between religions, societies and cultures. The...
is against the law, some prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
activities are reported in the capital Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
as well as in the Mazar-e-Sharif area in the north of the country. Females from Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and possibly Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and other countries are imported for prostitution into Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. According to the Afghan Interior Ministry's department of sexual crime
Sex and the law
In general, laws proscribe acts which are considered either sexual abuse, or behavior that societies consider to be inappropriate and against the social norms. In addition, certain categories of activity may be considered crimes even if freely consented to...
s, about 2 to 3 prostitution arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
s were made each week in the nation between 2007 and 2008.
Prostitution also existed under the former Taliban regime, which was a government that followed a very strict interpretation of the Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law. Melissa Ditmore reports in Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work that during their rule the traffic in women for prostitution thrived. Prostitutes mostly worked from their houses termed as Qalas and in Kabul there were 25 to 30 hidden brothels.
Legality and consequences
The practice of prostitution in Afghanistan is illegal, with punishments ranging from 5 to 15 years imprisonment. Married prostitutes are considered adulterersAdultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
under the Afghan penal code and subject to minimum 5 years imprisonment. Prostitution was even more strictly prohibited under the rule of the Taliban, with those thought of having extramarital sex
Extramarital sex
Extramarital sex occurs when a married person engages in sexual activity with someone other than his or her marriage partner.Where extramarital sexual relations breach a sexual norm it may also be referred to as adultery, fornication, philandery, or infidelity...
risking extrajudicial killing by cultural fundamentalists
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism is strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology. The term "fundamentalism" was originally coined by its supporters to describe a specific package of theological beliefs that developed into a movement within the...
and Islamists
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
.
Extrajudicial risks
- In July 2008, two Afghan women were accused of running a secret prostitution service and working for the police and killed by the Taliban in the Ghazni ProvinceGhazni ProvinceGhazni is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Babur records in his Babur-Nama that Ghazni is also known as Zabulistan It is in the east of the country. Its capital is Ghazni City...
, although the local authorities as well as the American military in the area claimed the women were innocent. - Two Afghan women accused of prostitution were shot dead in July 2010.
Reasons for prostitution
Prostitution in the country is mostly driven by poverty and displacement. Prohibition for women to work under Taliban rule meant some street children were forced into the trade in order to make a living. According to the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, females from Iran, Tajikistan, China, and possibly Uganda and other places are forced into prostitution in Afghanistan. Tajik women are believed to be trafficked through Afghanistan to other countries for prostitution. Trafficked Iranian womenWomen in Iran
Iranian women in this article refers to women of, or from, traditional Persian or modern Iranian culture.-Depictions and appearance:...
transit Afghanistan en route to Pakistan. Afghan women as well as boys and girls among recently returned refugees from neighboring countries were reported to be forced into prostitution, a number of children were also reported being sold into it by their family.
A 2007 University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
report suggests that there may be about 900 female prostitutes in Kabul, which is a city with a population of over 3 million. About two to three prostitution arrests were made between 2007 and 2008 each week in Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry's department of sexual crimes.
According to Afghan traditions, the shame of prostitution is so intense that sometimes those involved in such activities are assassinated by the many religious extremists found throughout the country or in some cases by family members.
Brothels
BrothelBrothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s, sometimes run by foreigners or by the mafia
Mafia (disambiguation)
The Sicilian Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid 19th century in Sicily.Mafia may also refer to:- Italy :* Camorra, a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania...
, manage to exist in several cities of the country by paying bribes to police officers
Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police - ANP - is the primary national police force in Afghanistan. It serves as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan police force was first created with the establishment of the Afghan nation in the early 18th century...
who come to raid them. There are reports of a couple of brothels in northern Afghanistan, in and around the Mazar-i-Sharif area of Balkh Province
Balkh Province
Balkh is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the north of the country and its name derives from the ancient city of Balkh, near the modern town...
.
The capital Kabul saw an extraordinary number of Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
brothels ("Chinese restaurants") opened in the four years following the fall of the Taliban regime. Four years later a series of police raids reduced the brothels to 3 which caters, according to Reuters, to a mainly high-income international clientele as Afghan aren't generally accepted in or, according to USA Today, to mostly Afghan men.
Mut'ah
There are also some recent reports about Mut'ah (Fegha in Dari (Persian)Dari (Persian)
Dari or Fārsī-ye Darī in historical terms refers to the Persian court language of the Sassanids. In contemporary usage, the term refers to the dialects of modern Persian language spoken in Afghanistan, and hence known as Afghan Persian in some Western sources. It is the term officially recognized...
) beginning to be practiced in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Mut'ah is a fixed-term marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
practiced mainly in neighboring Shia-majority Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
but is rejected by the majority Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s of Afghanistan and the rest of the world.
A number of Shia Afghan women and girls are trafficked within the country or to regional countries for mut'ah.
Bacha bazi
Women dancing in front of men is strictly prohibited by the Afghan cultureCulture of Afghanistan
The culture of Afghanistan has been around for over two millenniums, tracing record to at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire in 500 BCE. Afghanistan translates to the "place of Afghans" or "land of the Afghans" in the nation's official languages, Pashto and Dari...
so instead of females good looking boys are used. "Bacha bereesh" (meaning "boys without beards" in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
) who dance to entertain men at private parties, are reported in Afghanistan, especially in the north of the country. Wealthy and powerful patrons, sometimes warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
s sexually exploit them
Commercial sexual exploitation of children
Commercial sexual exploitation of children constitutes a form of coercion and violence against children and amounts to forced labour and a contemporary form of slavery....
.