Afghanistan’s Taliban government has imposed a new restriction on women forbidding them from praying loudly or reciting the Quran in front of other women. This is part of a series of morality laws that restrict the rights of women, including banning them from raising their voices and showing their faces in public. Afghan women are already excluded from education beyond sixth grade, many public spaces, and most jobs.
Vice and Virtue Minister Khalid Hanafi announced the prohibition during an event in Logar province, stating that women are not allowed to recite Quranic verses or perform recitations in front of other women. He also stated that expressions like “subhanallah” and chants like takbir are not allowed either. The minister emphasized that women are not allowed to perform the call to prayer or sing.
The ministry stated that a national awareness program about these laws is underway to educate the public about the restrictions. Provinces are also banning the media from showing images of living things as part of the morality laws. The Taliban established the Vice and Virtue Ministry after seizing power in 2021, and it has enforced decrees that disproportionately affect women and girls, such as dress codes, segregated education and employment, and requiring a male guardian for travel. These restrictions have been widely criticized for infringing on the rights of women in Afghanistan.
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