On First Day Of Afghan School Year, Kabul Institutes Deserted

Afghanistan: The Taliban have promised a softer rule than during their first stint in power from 1996-2001.

Universities in Kabul were almost empty on the first day of the Afghan school year, as professors and students wrestled with the Taliban's restrictive new rules for the classroom. The Taliban have promised a softer rule than during their first stint in power from 1996-2001, when women's freedoms in Afghanistan were sharply curtailed and they were banned from higher education. This time, the hardline group have said women will be allowed to go to private universities under the new regime, but they face tough restrictions on their clothing and movement. Women can only attend class if they wear an abaya -- a flowing robe -- and a niqab -- a face veil with a small window to see through -- and are separated from men, the Taliban said.