Recent reports have revealed that the Taliban in Afghanistan has implemented further extreme restrictions on women under its interpretation of sharia law. The latest ban prohibits women from hearing other women's voices while they pray, as announced by Khalid Hanafi, the acting minister of the Vice and Virtue Ministry.
Hanafi's message, which was shared on the ministry's social media pages before being taken down, emphasized that adult females praying should not do so loudly enough for others to hear, even if another woman passes by. This new restriction adds to the existing prohibitions that prevent women from engaging in call-to-prayer, speaking in public, reciting Quranic verses, or performing recitations in front of other women.
Furthermore, the ban on public speaking introduced in August extends to women speaking inside their homes, where their voices should not be audible from outside. The Taliban justifies these oppressive measures as a means to prevent women from causing temptation and to protect them from being tempted by others.
Under the Taliban's rule, women in Afghanistan are required to have a male guardian accompany them whenever they leave their homes. Violations of these rules result in arrests and imprisonment, with reports indicating instances of sexual violence, including rape, being used against women detained by the Taliban.
A special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan has raised concerns that the Taliban's systematic gender oppression could constitute crimes against humanity, particularly gender persecution. The findings of the report are set to be presented to the United Nations General Assembly on November 1.
