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The Taliban Publish Vice Laws That Ban Women’s Voices And Bare Faces In Public
Islamabad – Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have banned women’s voices and bare faces in public as part of new legislation approved by the supreme leader to combat vice and promote virtue.
According to a government spokeswoman, the legislation was announced on Wednesday after being authorized by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. After capturing power in 2021, the Taliban established a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice”.
On Wednesday, the ministry issued its vice and virtue laws addressing common issues such as public transit, music, shaving, and festivities.
The Taliban Publish Vice Laws That Ban Women’s Voices And Bare Faces In Public
They are outlined in a 114-page, 35-article document obtained by The Associated Press and are the first formal statement of vice and virtue rules in Afghanistan since the takeover.
“Inshallah, we assure you that this Islamic law will be of great help in the promotion of virtue and the elimination of vice,” said ministry spokesman Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq on Thursday.
The regulations empower the ministry to regulate personal behavior, imposing penalties such as warnings or arrests if officials believe Afghans have broken the law.
Article 13 concerns women. It states that a woman must hide her body at all times in public and that a facial covering is necessary to avoid temptation and seducing others. Clothing should not be thin, tight, or short.
To avoid corruption, women should conceal themselves in front of all male strangers, including Muslims as well as non-Muslims. A woman’s voice is considered private, so she should not sing, recite, or read aloud in public. It is banned for women to look at men who are not related by blood or marriage, and vice versa.
Article 17 prohibits the publication of photos of living individuals, endangering the already fragile Afghan media landscape.
Article 19 prohibits the performance of music, the transportation of lone female travelers, and the mixing of men and women who are unrelated to one another. The regulation also requires passengers and drivers to pray at certain times.
According to the ministry’s website, virtue promotion includes:
- Prayer.
- Aligning Muslim character and behavior with Islamic law.
- Urging women to wear hijab.
- Inviting individuals to follow Islam’s five pillars.
According to a United Nations assessment released last month, the ministry’s edicts and enforcement procedures contribute to a climate of fear and intimidation among Afghans.
It stated that the ministry’s function was growing into other aspects of public life, such as media monitoring and drug eradication.
The Taliban Publish Vice Laws That Ban Women’s Voices And Bare Faces In Public
“Given the multiple issues outlined in the report, the position expressed by the de facto authorities that this oversight will be increasing and expanding gives cause for significant concern for all Afghans, especially women and girls,” said Fiona Frazer, the head of the human rights and taliban service at the United Nations mission in Afghanistan.
The Taliban rejected the United Nations report.
SOURCE | AP
