ROME, Oct 6 (Reuter) - Severe restrictions on women's rights by Afghanistan's new Islamic rulers threaten to take the country "back to the Dark Ages" and cause a major humanitarian crisis, European Commissioner Emma Bonino said on Sunday. The Italian, who is Commissioner for humanitarian aid, decried what she said was the silence of the international community since the Taleban militia took over the capital Kabul and the failure of more women in power to speak out. "I am convinced, and history proves this, that when there is a major violation of basic human rights a major humanitarian crisis follows," Bonino told Reuters in a telephone interview. The Taleban have won control of about three-quarters of the country in the two years since the movement was born. They took control of Kabul on September 27, imposing Islamic law and strict bans on education and work for women, who were also ordered to cover themselves completely in public. "I think we are going back to the Dark Ages," Bonino said. She said the rest

rictions would hamper western aid projects and increase female mortality because male doctors would not be allowed to operate on women. "I am concerned about the lack of response from the international community," Bonino said. "This is the moment when international pressure could be worthwhile since this is still a provisional government." Bonino said she was disappointed that a request on Friday by Italy and Russia for the Security Council to criticise the Taleban for discriminating against women had been blocked after objections from China, Indonesia and Egypt. She also said hardly any influential women had spoken out. "I wonder where the other women in power are," Bonino said. Western aid groups working in Afghanistan -- helping some 200,000 people a day in Kabul alone -- say most of their projects have ground to a halt because they depend on women who are not being allowed to work. They intend to appeal to the Taleban, probably on Monday, to find a quick solution to a problem several group leaders say co

uld lead to a shutdown of projects and a halt to the flow of funds from western governments.