Times of India

KABUL: The Northern Alliance administration, now in control of Kabul, on Friday lifted all religious restrictions imposed by the hardline Taliban in Afghanistan, saying the dark years are over.

Religious affairs minister Ataullha symbolically chose a 532-year-old Hindu temple in Kabul on a Friday, the Muslim holy day, to make the announcement.

"The dark years have gone. We are ready to give all rights to every religion," he said, blaming past atrocities on the Taliban and the Pakistani government which supported it.

Hindus and Sikhs, who account for about 500 families in all of Afghanistan, were forced by the Taliban to wear distinctive yellow markings to set them apart from Muslims.

The men were required to wear yellow turbans, were not allowed to display any sign of their religion outside official temples, and Hindu traders were ordered to close their shops during the daily Muslim prayers.

Breaches of the Taliban order were punished with instant beatings.

"You suffered much under the Taliban, but they were bad people, they were not good Muslims," Ataullha said.

"You don't have to wear yellow any more. It is as before, we want to have contact with you. We are ready to help you. As you had rights before, you can again have anything regarding your religion. You are free," he said.

His speech, to about 100 people in the temple, was frequently interrupted by chants from the Hindus invoking the names of their religious leaders.

His audience included many women now venturing outside for the first time in five years wearing their traditional saris.

Rawinder Singh, a senior Hindu in Kabul, said although they were tolerated by the Taliban they were not welcome.

"The Taliban did not like other religions, we were under pressure from the Taliban," he said.

"They told us to wear yellow, the turban is yellow, we had to close our shops (during Muslim prayers) and Hindu and Sikh ladies could not go to other bazaars."

Although Hindu and Sikh women were not ordered to stay indoors, most in the temple said they were afraid to go outside during the five years of Taliban rule which collapsed on November 13.

"They would hit us, so we stayed at home," one woman said.

The few who did venture out, dressed in the detested all-encompassing burqa which the Taliban ordered all women to wear, said they were for bidden to buy brightly coloured material.

Hindu shops were also forbidden to supply western-style men's suits, although one tailor, G S Sedhi, said he sold suits and sari material under the counter. ( AFP )

-- Anonymous, November 30, 2001