By Human Rights Press Staff – Sept. 28, 2024
Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has introduced strict new vice and virtue laws, further limiting women’s freedoms in public life. Approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the laws ban women from raising their voices in public, either through singing or reading aloud, deeming them “intimate” sounds. Women are also required to wear full body coverings and face veils at all times in public to avoid “temptation.”
The 114-page document, containing 35 articles, also forbids women from interacting with men outside their families, using public transportation alone, and bans the playing of music. The ministry responsible for enforcing these laws will regulate personal behavior and administer punishments, such as warnings or arrests.
The new rules are part of the Taliban’s broader effort to align Afghan society with its interpretation of Islamic law. A recent U.N. report warned that the ministry’s expanding authority is creating an atmosphere of fear, particularly for Afghan women and girls.
Taliban spokesperson Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq defended the laws, stating they promote virtue and eliminate vice. These actions further erode Afghanistan’s fragile media environment and heighten concerns for women’s rights.
Source: CNN
