The Taliban government in Afghanistan has introduced a strict set of vice laws that impose harsh restrictions on women’s public behavior, marking a significant step in their efforts to enforce their interpretation of Islamic law. The new 114-page document, consisting of 35 articles, mandates that women must cover their entire bodies in public, particularly their faces, to prevent “temptation.” Additionally, the laws dictate that women’s voices are considered intimate and should not be heard in public, banning them from singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public spaces. The laws also prohibit women from looking at unrelated men and restrict men from looking at unrelated women.
The new regulations also extend to broader aspects of public life in Afghanistan. Article 17 bans the publication of images of living beings, posing a serious threat to the country’s already fragile media landscape. Article 19 further restricts public conduct by banning music, prohibiting solo female travelers from being transported, and enforcing the segregation of unrelated men and women in public. The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which now holds significant authority, is tasked with enforcing these laws, including administering punishments for violations.
These new laws have sparked strong criticism from international human rights organizations, with the United Nations expressing concern over the increasing influence of the Taliban’s vice ministry. The U.N. report warned that the ministry’s expanding oversight is creating a “climate of fear and intimidation,” particularly for women and girls. Despite these concerns, the Taliban has dismissed the criticism, asserting that their measures are in line with Islamic law and intended to promote virtue in society. However, the decrees have reignited fears of a return to the severe restrictions that characterized the Taliban’s previous rule in the 1990s.
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