Afghan Women Protest Taliban Law: 'My Voice is Not 'Awrah'

Dozens of Afghan women expressed their widespread protest against the Taliban's 'Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice' law by sharing messages containing poetry and songs on social media, criticizing the ban on women's voices in public places. The Taliban government issued the 35-article law last week across Afghanistan, signed by Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader. According to this law, a woman's voice is considered 'awrah' and is prohibited, and women are required to cover their faces when outside the home. The law states that a woman's voice should not be heard in public while singing, reciting the Quran, or in any loud manner, and women's voices should not reach beyond the walls of their homes. According to the Dari section of Voice of America, Afghan women's protests inside and outside Afghanistan against this law, which some women's rights advocates believe is 'the final nail in the coffin of women's rights,' were shared with hashtags 'My Voice is Not Awrah' and 'No to the Taliban.' In one of these social media posts, a woman living in Afghanistan, dressed in black and covering her face, says: 'You have silenced my voice; you have imprisoned me in my home for being a woman.' In another, a group of women activists raise their clenched fists and shout slogans while tearing up pictures of Hibatullah Akhundzada. The Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan for the past three years, has imposed severe restrictions on women. According to Taliban laws, women have no right to education or work. The United Nations has described these restrictions as gender apartheid. The UN representative in Afghanistan stated this week: 'This is a disturbing outlook for the future of Afghanistan, where moral agents have arbitrary powers to threaten and detain anyone based on a broad and sometimes vague list of offenses.' Roza Otunbayeva, in a statement released by her office in Kabul, emphasized that 'this law expands unbearable restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls, even a woman's voice outside the home is considered a moral violation.' The new Taliban law was issued on Wednesday, August 31, after being approved by Hibatullah Akhundzada, and covers various aspects of life including public transport, music, beauty and grooming, and holding ceremonies and celebrations. Article 13 of this set of laws pertains to women and states that hijab is mandatory for women in public places, and they must cover their faces and entire bodies to avoid temptation and provoking others. It further states that women's clothing should not be thin, tight, or short. Women are also required to wear hijab in front of non-Muslim men and women to avoid corruption. Mawlawi Abdul Ghafar Farooq, a Taliban spokesman, said on Thursday that these Islamic laws will be very effective in 'promoting virtue and preventing vice.' This 114-page, 35-article document, seen by the Associated Press, is the first official declaration of 'Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice' since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan three years ago. The Taliban has also established a ministry to enforce these laws, and violators face detention and penalties such as imprisonment. These laws also prohibit the publication of images of living beings, broadcasting music, transporting women passengers alone, and mixing men and women who are not related. Passengers and drivers are required to pray at designated times. Last month, the United Nations issued a statement criticizing the restrictions imposed by the Taliban, stating that these laws and practices create an atmosphere of fear and terror among Afghans. The Taliban denies the UN's claims. On Tuesday, August 30, Taliban officials also announced that over 280 security personnel were dismissed for not having beards, and last year over 13,000 were detained for what they called 'immoral actions.' The Taliban's Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated in its 'annual performance report' that about half of those detained were released after 24 hours, and the report did not provide information about their alleged crimes or gender. Mohibullah Makhlis, one of the officials of this ministry, said at a press conference that the Taliban destroyed 21,328 musical instruments last year and prevented thousands of 'immoral' films from circulating in cyberspace. The Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which was established after the Taliban regained power in the seized offices of the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Kabul, has been severely criticized by human rights organizations and the United Nations for imposing restrictions on women and hindering freedom of expression.