KABUL - Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO), a non-governmental organization, has expressed great concern in their recent report titled "Women in the Perspective of Men" on the growing culture of female discrimination and harassment in every aspect of life.

According to the report, the method of preaching pursued by imams throughout the regions without government control has strengthened the idea of male domination, which has caused the deprivation of women of their basic humanitarian rights and raised violence against them.

"Our findings indicate that in remote areas where the government has no control, the mosque imams persuade people toward extremism and violence against females," Executive Director of AHRDO Khudadad Besharat said. "The issue has increased violence against women."

Based on the report, the abuses and harassments of females in public or behind closed doors has increased in several provinces across the country, particularly in the capital.

"We want an end to the culture of impunity," Head of Parliament's women's affairs Nafisa Azimi said. "The cases of violence against women need to be investigated accurately."

Referring to the report produced by AHRDO, the Afghan Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs has rejected the report that the mosque imams were persuading people to resort to extremism, and violence against women.

"It is a fact that imams have their own style of preaching, but we have never heard of Imams persuading people toward the acts of violence against women, therefore we strongly reject the report," Deputy Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs Daee-ul-Haq Abid said.

The report indicates that the marriage cultures in villages have taken the shape of business trade and in some cases families sell their underage daughters because of poverty.

AHRDO reports that 1,076 people in Kabul, 756 in Herat, 782 in Nangarhar, 606 in Balkh, and 682 in Bamiyan were interviewed for the report. (Tolonews)