According to the Associated Press, last Wednesday, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers issued a ban on women’s voices and bare faces in public. This includes all public places such as public transportation, commons and celebrations. The Taliban are listing these laws under a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice” which essentially dictates how women should act and show themselves in public. Last Thursday, ministry spokesman Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq quoted, “Inshallah we assure you that this Islamic law will be of great help in the promotion of virtue and the elimination of vice”. Further, these laws issue that women’s voices are deemed too intimate and therefore women shall not sing, recite or read aloud in public. It is also banned for women to look at men (directly or indirectly) that they are not related to by blood or marriage. In Article 19 of the 35 article document, it states how women are banned from traveling solo and the mixing of men and women who are not related to each other. These however are not even the most life changing ones for women throughout Afghanistan, Article 13 states how women should veil themselves in front of all male strangers, including muslims, and in front of all (female and male) muslims.
The United Nations reported about these laws stating how “the ministry was contributing to a climate of fear and intimidation among Afghans through edicts and the methods used to enforce them”. The Taliban then rejected this article and refused to explain further. Fiona Frazer, the head of the human rights service at the U.N. mission in Afghanistan reported “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,”. In other words Frazer emphasizes her concerns for women and girls throughout Afghanistan regarding the recent laws.
Overall the country of Afghanistan has seen drastic changes that impact daily life for women in terms of covering one’s face and the outright ban of using one’s voice for singing, reciting or reading aloud in any public place. These laws were put in place by the Talbain in order to encourage virtue and the prevention of vice. For more information visit the Associated Press and stay updated on the latest news regarding Afghanistan.
