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The new decree, which was issued by the Taliban minister for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice, states that women cannot pray aloud in the presence of each other
At present, this decree is only restricted to prayers but experts fear it could have larger implications.
(Image: AFP/File)
Women have reportedly been banned from “hearing each other’s voice” in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan in another move to restrict basic freedoms. The new decree states that women cannot pray aloud in the presence of each other, as per a report by a Virginia-based Afghan news channel.
According to Amu TV, the order was issued by Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, who is the Taliban minister for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice. He said women should avoid reciting the Quran aloud when around other women.
“When women are not allowed to call takbir or azaan (the Islamic call to prayer), they certainly cannot sing songs or enjoy music,” he was quoted in the report.
A report published by The Telegraph said Hanafi stressed that a woman’s voice is considered “awrah” – something that must be concealed – meaning it should not be heard in public, even by other women.
At present, this decree is only restricted to prayers but experts fear it could have larger implications. Women are already not allowed to speak in public. Even female healthcare workers – among the few Afghan women allowed to work outside their homes – cannot speak to male relatives.
“They don’t even allow us to speak at checkpoints on our way to work, and in clinics, we are instructed not to discuss medical issues with male relatives,” a midwife in Herat told Amu TV.
This order is another among more restrictions imposed on women in the Taliban regime that returned to power in 2021. In August, a rule was introduced for women mandating full-body coverage, including faces, when outside.
- Location :
Kabul, Afghanistan
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