The Taliban movement has enacted another law that further suppresses the freedoms of women and girls, this time issuing a decree prohibiting them from praying out loud or reading the Qur’an in the presence of each other.
The move follows the implementation of a series of “virtue” or “morality” laws in Afghanistan in August, which were drawn up in a 114-page document that covered broad aspects of daily public life.
Among the new laws announced in August were directives requiring women to cover their entire bodies, including their faces, at all times in public places. Women were also prohibited from singing, reciting, and reading aloud in public, as a woman’s voice was considered “intimate” and should not be heard.
Women are already excluded from education beyond sixth grade, from many public places and most jobs. They are also prohibited from looking at men to whom they are not related by blood or marriage.
“An adult woman is prohibited from reciting Qur’anic verses or performing recitations in front of another adult woman. Even chants of takbir (Allahu Akbar) are not permitted,” Taliban Deputy Minister of Eminence Khalid Hanafi said during an event in eastern Logar province on Sunday.
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He said uttering similar phrases such as “Glory be to God,” another word central to the Islamic faith, is also not permitted. He told the crowd that it is not permissible for a woman to give the call to prayer.
“Even if an adult woman prays and another woman passes by, she should not pray loudly for them to hear.”
“How are they allowed to sing if they are not even allowed to hear (each other’s) voices during prayer, let alone anything else.”
While the exact details of the Taliban’s rule are unclear, Afghan human rights activists have warned that it could mean women being effectively banned from holding conversations with each other.
The ministry said on Tuesday that a nationwide awareness program is coming “to contribute to shaping public perception and increasing awareness of divine rulings.”
The Taliban established the Ministry of “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” after seizing power in 2021.
They have banned women from working in NGOs in 2022. One woman who spoke to Global News said her family fell into poverty after she had to give up her job at an NGO.
“I am the breadwinner for my family. We are only four people in my family: me, my sister and my parents. My father is sick right now. We don’t have anything in our kitchen to prepare for dinner or our night,” she said.
“It is very difficult for me. I don’t know how I can continue my life.”
Strict laws also order drivers not to transport women without a guardian, and passengers and drivers must perform prayers at specific times. Other restrictions include making it illegal to play music, men are prohibited from shaving their beards as well as skipping prayers and fasting.
Media in Afghanistan must adhere to Islamic law, which means that publishing images depicting living creatures is prohibited, in line with Islam’s prohibition of idolatry.
A United Nations report The circular, published in July, said the ministry was contributing to creating a climate of fear and intimidation among Afghans through the decrees and methods used to implement them.
“Given the multiple issues highlighted in the report, the position expressed by the de facto authorities that this censorship will increase and expand gives us even more attention.” This is a matter of great concern to all Afghans, especially women and girlssaid Fiona Fraser, Head of the Human Rights Department at the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan.
The Taliban rejected the UN report.
— With files from The Associated Press and World News
