Afghanistan: Taliban Bans Women From Speaking in Public

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Aug 23, 2024

Above: A woman in a burqa holds the flag of Afghanistan to call for freedom for women in the Arab world on Sept. 16, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. Image copyright: Zowy Voeten/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Imagesstory last updated Aug 25

The Facts

Afghanistan's Taliban administration has enacted new legislation prohibiting women from showing their faces or having their voices heard in public.
The 35-article morality law — released by the Taliban's ministry for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice on Wednesday — has guidance covering aspects of daily life, including social interactions.

The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

The rules are in accordance with Islamic Sharia law, which promotes good and forbids evil. The Taliban issues decrees and legal documents to regulate personal conduct with the sole intention of reforming society, preventing men and women from being corrupted, and aligning the character and behavior of Muslims with Islamic law. The West must stop undermining Afghan customs.

Afghanistan International

Pro-establishment narrative

This decree is the Taliban's latest attempt to erase women from public life. The draconian restrictions on freedoms and movements are intended to ensure that women have no public face and are excluded from the social, economic, and political map of the country. The international community can't remain silent about the systematic repression, intimidation, and violation of human rights in Afghanistan.