‘Faces must be covered in public’; Taliban command Afghan women

Women in Afghanistan were instructed to cover their faces in public with a traditional burqa, indicating that the Taliban leadership was edging closer to re-establishing a rigid religious dictatorship. The order was issued by Taliban commander Hibatullah Akhundzada. According to the order, if women had no vital employment outside the house, it was ‘best they stay at home’. The edict also established penalties for women’s male guardians who did not follow the clothing rule.

It was the latest in a string of Taliban restrictions on women, which included prohibiting females from holding government positions, attending secondary school, or traveling alone outside of their communities, and drew considerable international criticism. ‘My heart is bursting because there is so much suffering and sadness for women in my nation. So much venom and rage are directed toward the Taliban, the oppressors of women, the enforcers of gender apartheid, and the enemies of Afghanistan and mankind. The world is a bystander to our suffering, apartheid, and total dictatorship ‘, Shaharzad Akbar, the former head of Afghanistan’s Human Rights Commission, tweeted his support.

‘Those women who are not too old or young must cover their faces, except the eyes, as per Sharia directives, in order to avoid provocation when meeting men who are not mahram (adult close male relatives),’ said the decree approved by Akhundzada and released by Taliban authorities at a ceremony in Kabul. The Taliban rule said that the ideal approach for a woman to hide her face was to wear Chadri. It is a typical blue Afghan burqa with a screen over the face. ‘They should wear a chadari since it is traditional and respectable,’ it stated.

The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which issued the new directive, announced a host of consequences if the dress code is not obeyed. It said that if the offense was done frequently, the woman’s father or male guardian would be called and may potentially be imprisoned. Women working at government institutions who did not follow the directive ‘should be sacked,’ the ministry warned. The directive states that government officials whose wives and daughters do not comply would be fired.