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Taliban enacts law banning women's voices in public spaces in Afghanistan
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has announced a new set of draconian laws that severely restrict the rights and freedoms of women. The laws, which were approved by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, include a ban on women speaking in public, showing their uncovered faces in public, and a requirement for women to veil their bodies at all times in public. The laws also cover other aspects of everyday life, such as public transportation, music, and celebrations. Article 13 of the law specifically targets women, stating that they must cover their faces in public to avoid temptation and tempting others. The laws are part of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice's first formal declaration of laws since the Taliban took power in August 2021.
Inshallah we assure you that this Islamic law will be of great help in the promotion of virtue and the elimination of vice.
Our concern is that the Taliban will implement this law in the worst possible way. There will be no such thing as privacy for the citizens of Afghanistan, and this law creates an open platform for further human rights violations in the country.
The implementation of Sharia [Islamic law] and the hijab is our red line. We cannot negotiate with anyone on these issues.
After decades of war and in the midst of a terrible humanitarian crisis, the Afghan people deserve much better than being threatened or jailed if they happen to be late for prayers, glance at a member of the opposite sex who is not a family member, or possess a photo of a loved one.
It is a distressing vision for Afghanistan's future, where moral inspectors have discretionary powers to threaten and detain anyone based on broad and sometimes vague lists of infractions.
From a legal standpoint this document faces serious issues.
This Taliban law deals with the most minor human interactions and extends beyond monitoring personal relationships in society.
In a situation where there is no such thing as a trial in Afghanistan, in most cases, members of this ministry can punish individuals directly, which violates most basic human rights laws and principles.
The only right we are allowed is to breathe. And even then ...
They said to themselves, 'If we play the game and get nothing in return, we'll do what we want at home'.
Afghanistan under Taliban rule
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- Afghan Women's Education Ban Under Review
- Taliban threaten to close NGOs employing Afghan women
sources
- 1.CNN
- 2.CTV News
- 3.DW News
- 4.El Paìs
- 5.The Guardian
- 6.The Times
- 7.France 24
- 8.Associated Press
- 9.Begum TV
- 10.El Pais
- 11.France Culture
- 12.Tolonews
perspectives
- 1.US Foreign Policy
- 2.Islamic Terrorism
- 3.Ethnic tensions
- 4.Authoritarianism
- 5.Human rights
- 6.Women's Rights
- 7.Afghanistan under Taliban rule
- 8.War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
countries
- 1.United Arab Emirates
- 2.Afghanistan
- 3.Bangladesh
- 4.China
- 5.India
- 6.Norway
- 7.Pakistan
- 8.Russian Federation
- 9.United States
organizations
- 1.Taliban
- 2.United Nations
- 3.European Union
- 4.Human Rights Watch
- 5.North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
- 6.Afghan Lawyers Association
- 7.Rukhshana Media
- 8.United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
- 9.Virtue and Vice Ministry
persons
- 1.Haibatullah Akhunzada
- 2.Roza Otunbayeva
- 3.Richard Bennett
- 4.Abdul Ghafar Farooq
- 5.António Guterres
- 6.Chekeba Hachemi
- 7.Fawzia Koofi
- 8.Fereshta Abbasi
- 9.Fiona Frazer
- 10.Hamida Aman
- 11.Jennifer Hauser
- 12.Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq