E/CN.4/2000/65 page 5 Afghanistan 7. The Taliban continue to apply a system of discrimination against women based on their own interpretation of Islam. Women are subjected to total segregation within society, such as exclusion from any employment and from educational institutions. Their status as second class citizens is said to be reflected in the following prohibitions: they are not allowed to drive; they are kept separate from men in buses; they have to be accompanied by a close male relative whenever they leave the home and whenever they visit a doctor; doctors are not allowed to touch women patients; they are required to wear the burqa. Saudi Arabia 8. The legislation, which is said to be based on religious norms, reportedly does not guarantee equality between men and women. Women are said to be discriminated against in the following ways: they are not allowed to drive a motor vehicle; they enter buses by an entrance separate from that for men and sit in a section different from that for men; they enjoy limited access to certain public facilities when men are present; they require the authorization of a close male relative for admission to hospital treatment and for travel abroad; they can study abroad only if they are accompanied by the spouse or an immediate male relative; when in public, they are required to observe the rules governing dress; in the Shariah courts, testimony by a man is said to be equivalent to the testimony of two women; in divorce cases, women have to show legally specified grounds, something which is reportedly not required of men. 9. Saudi Arabia replied that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had affirmed its commitment to combat discrimination in all its forms by acceding to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The competent authorities are sparing no effort to ensure that women enjoy all their fundamental rights as provided for by law, such as the right to education, the right to work and the right to protection against poverty. The State is also protecting the freedoms of every person in accordance with the Islamic Shariah and related customs, to the extent that such freedoms are not contrary to public order and morals. Some traditional practices are based on national customs and are widely followed in society, even though they are not based on religious teachings. The Saudi Government is taking gradual educational measures to eliminate such practices, which might be equated with discrimination based on sex. Such measures are being taken in such a way as to ensure that there are no adverse effects on security, public order, public health and morals in general or on the fundamental rights and freedoms of other persons. 10. In a second communication, the Special Rapporteur referred to the alleged arrest in May 1999 of a Filipino accused of preaching Christianity in Riyadh. Azerbaijan 11. The national legislation reportedly does not guarantee the right to conscientious objection on grounds of religious belief. Azerbaijan replied that the State Military Commissioner had no case on record of citizens objecting to military service on religious grounds and that the Constitution and the legislation provided for alternative service for conscientious objectors.