Under the new Taliban authority, Afghan women are prohibited from hearing the voices of other women

Afghan news channel Amu TV, based in Virginia, reports that the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has imposed new restrictions on Afghan women, requiring them to abstain from reciting the Quran aloud and performing Takbir, an Islamic act of faith, even when other women are around. Afghan women, who are increasingly demanding the protection of their rights as the Taliban’s policies become more restrictive, have strongly reacted to this edict, which was announced by Minister Mohammad Khalid Hanafi.

According to Islamic law, a woman’s voice is regarded as “awrah,” which in Islamic jurisprudence means anything that must be hidden, according to Hanafi, who is approved by the UN and the EU. He said that a woman’s voice should not be heard in public, as per Taliban philosophy, and that this regulation now applies to her own home while she is among other women.

In a recent comment, Hanafi contended, as Amu TV cited, “How could a woman be allowed to sing if she is not allowed to perform Takbir?” In Islam, the takbir prayer, which exalts God, is frequently said as a sign of devotion. The ministry’s directive adds more limitations in private areas to the regulations that already mandate women cover their faces and entire bodies.

The Taliban’s imposition of these standards is a concerning development for Afghan women, who experience a growing sense of exclusion and quiet in their own culture. According to experts quoted in a media source, this new regulation could be the first step toward more limitations on women’s liberties.

Afghan women have been severely restricted in their ability to participate in public life, work, and education since the Taliban regained power. Girls are not allowed to continue their education past the sixth grade, and there are fewer and fewer female voices in public places. According to reports, the ministry has also outlawed the public display of any photos of living things, including those that are shown in official media broadcasts.

According to local sources, women are now prohibited from speaking openly, even in professional settings, after the ministry adopted a rule in August mandating that women wear full-body covers outside. One of the few groups of Afghan women who are still allowed to work, healthcare workers, are prohibited from speaking in public, particularly in the presence of men or male family members.

Human rights organizations and Afghan women have urged the international world to weigh in and demand tangible measures to protect women’s rights in the nation. International criticism has focused on the Taliban ministry, which has long been seen as the implementer of orthodox social programs. The United Nations and other human rights organizations have condemned the Taliban’s systematic restrictions on women’s freedoms, pointing to the damage done to their personal, social, and economic freedoms.