Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – In a shocking escalation of restrictions, the Taliban’s Minister for the Promotion of Virtue, Khalid Hanafi, has declared it forbidden for adult women to allow their voices to be heard by other adult women. This unprecedented order adds to the mounting constraints on Afghan women’s lives, sparking outrage both nationally and internationally.
In a recent audio statement, Hanafi—blacklisted by the United Nations and sanctioned by the European Union—stated that adult women must not perform Takbir (Islamic invocation) or recite the Quran aloud in the presence of other women. Afghan women have condemned the directive as draconian and oppressive, calling on the world to defend their rights against what they see as an aggressive campaign to erase their presence and voices.
“I’ve worked in clinics in remote areas for eight years, but these last two months, the Taliban’s restrictions have intensified,” said Samira, a midwife in Herat. She explained how Taliban authorities now forbid female healthcare workers from speaking to male companions of female patients. “They won’t even let us speak at checkpoints on the way to work. And inside the clinics, we’re instructed not to communicate with male relatives about medical matters,” she added.
Hanafi’s recent edicts mandate that women cover all parts of their bodies, including their faces, and now limit their voices, even within the privacy of their homes. He underscored that women should not recite religious verses aloud, questioning, “If a woman cannot perform Takbir, how could she be allowed to sing?”
Rights advocates worldwide decry these policies as part of a calculated “misogynistic” agenda, silencing and isolating women under the guise of religious piety. “How are women expected to provide for their families, access medical care, or exist if their voices are forbidden?” questioned a women’s rights activist in Kabul. “These restrictions are making life unbearable for all of us.”
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, widely seen as the driver behind these harsh policies, faces increasing scrutiny from the international community. The United Nations and human rights organizations continue to condemn the Taliban’s rollback of women’s rights, highlighting the alarming disappearance of freedoms for Afghan women.
In keeping with its strict directives, the ministry has also banned the release of images depicting living beings in any official capacity, further silencing women’s visibility across Afghan society.
