New law forces Afghan women to cover faces, men to grow beards
The Afghan Taliban have formally codified a set of morality laws this week, mandating that women cover their faces and men grow beards, while also prohibiting car drivers from playing music, according to the Ministry of Justice.
These rules, aligned with Islamic Sharia law, will be enforced by the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue. The laws are based on a decree issued by the Taliban’s supreme spiritual leader in 2022 and have now been officially published as law, reports The Dawn attributing Reuters.
The Ministry, which has already enforced similar morality requirements, has detained thousands of people for violations. However, it remains unclear if the formal publication of these rules will lead to stricter enforcement.
The Taliban's restrictions on women and freedom of expression have faced sharp criticism from rights groups and foreign governments since the group regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. A 37-year-old housewife in Kabul expressed concern, saying, “Day by day, they are trying to erase women from society.” She added that the silence of the international community is encouraging the Taliban to impose more restrictive laws.
Western governments, particularly the United States, have linked the recognition of the Taliban government to their stance on women’s rights, particularly the reopening of high schools for girls. However, the Taliban maintain that they respect women’s rights according to their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs, and that these matters should be addressed domestically.
The newly enacted 35-article morality law, ratified by Supreme Spiritual Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, requires women to wear attire that fully covers their bodies and faces, and forbids men from shaving their beards or neglecting prayer and fasting obligations. Penalties for violations include warnings, verbal threats, confiscation of property, brief detention, and other punishments deemed appropriate. Persistent offenders may be referred to court.
Heather Barr, Associate Director of Human Rights Watch’s Women’s Rights Division, noted that many of these rules were already in place informally, and their formalization indicates a steady escalation of the Taliban's crackdown over the past three years.
The new laws also stipulate that drivers must not transport women without a male guardian, and the media must adhere to Sharia law, including a ban on publishing images of living beings. Over the past year, the morality ministry has detained more than 13,000 people for alleged offenses, though the specific charges and demographics of the detainees were not disclosed.
Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have suspended Afghanistan’s previous constitution and vowed to govern the country according to Sharia law. The newly published morality laws are the seventh set of codified laws, following others related to property, financial services, and the prevention of begging.
