Afghan Taliban bans the sound of women’s voices singing and reading in public. The new set of rules is part of the vice and virtue laws under the Islamist regime.
The laws were issued on Wednesday and were passed after being approved by Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada. The laws cover aspects of everyday life like public transportation, shaving, music, and celebrations.
Among the new rules, Article 13 relates to women: It says it is mandatory for a woman to veil her body at all times in public and that a face covering is essential to avoid temptation and tempting others. Clothing should not be thin, tight, or short.
A woman’s voice is deemed intimate and hence should not heard in public in the form of singing, recitation, or reading in public. This set of new rules will further tighten the grip and restrictions on the public activities of women in public.
“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, of the new laws.
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Women are not allowed to move freely in public, they are barred from interacting with men not related to them by blood or marriage. They are also strictly asked to cover themselves in public.
Afghan Taliban regime is under heavy criticism from all over the world for depriving women of their basic rights since they took over in 2021. Several rules restricting the freedom of women have been imposed in the country.
This also marks the first formal declaration of the vice and virtue laws in Afghanistan. The laws will empower the government to regulate the personal conduct, administering punishments like warning or arrest if enforcers allege that someone broke the law.