The acting head of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has declared that it is impermissible to hear phrases like “Alhamdulillah” and “Subhanallah” from a woman’s voice, even if it is another woman listening. In an audio recording, the official referenced a new Taliban rule that bans women from reciting religious songs or chants, emphasizing that even mature women should avoid listening to other women’s voices during prayer. Previously, he advised people to address complaints directly to the ministry’s hotline, 191, rather than expressing grievances to God about the Taliban.
Women’s rights activists have reacted to these statements with shock, questioning the basis for such extreme restrictions and discrimination against women. They argue that the silence of men in Afghanistan has emboldened the Taliban to impose increasingly oppressive policies and restrictions.
In the audio, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the acting head of the ministry, stated that a woman is not allowed to say “Alhamdulillah” or “Subhanallah” to another woman during prayer, let alone engage in singing. He added that if women cannot perform the Takbir (proclaiming that “Allah is greater than everything”), they should refrain from singing. Hanafi highlighted that these laws are gradually being implemented, dismissing international criticism and pointing out that the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has focused its reports on the ministry’s activities.
Hanafi claimed that enforcing the hijab among women aims to preserve their dignity, accusing foreign influences of disrespecting Afghan women by attempting to uncover them. He introduced a six-point directive for women, emphasizing full-body coverage to prevent “fitna” (temptation).
The Taliban official derided critics and reactions to the Taliban’s restrictions, declaring that victory belongs to the Taliban. In his speech, he said, “When we didn’t even have a motorcycle, we defeated the world’s superpowers and the global unbelievers, which no one could have imagined.”
Hanafi’s remarks have stirred another wave of outrage from women and civil society activists. Many have taken to social media, expressing that men’s silence and the Taliban’s increasingly restrictive measures are driving Afghan society further toward ruin, calling for active resistance to Taliban oppression.
Farrokh Laqa Onchizada, a women’s rights activist, condemned the Taliban’s statements, considering them an insult to the intelligence of the Afghan people. In a tweet, she highlighted that Afghan men remain silent each time new restrictions are imposed, which she believes only encourages the Taliban’s harsh policies.
Zhela Ahmadi, another women’s rights activist, expressed shock at the Taliban’s logic, remarking that hearing such views on women is “jaw-dropping.”
Previously, Hanafi responded to international criticism of the Taliban’s “Law for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice” by asserting that global organizations have no authority to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal matters. Addressing critiques from Western nations, he asked, “What authority do you have to interpret any law concerning Afghanistan?”
Hanafi’s comments have reignited public outcry, particularly since Article 13 of the Taliban’s law mandates that women cover their entire bodies and consider a woman’s voice, when reciting or singing, as “awrah” (to be concealed). The article specifies that women’s clothing must not be transparent, short, or tight and that women should cover their bodies and faces in the presence of non-related men.
In recent months, the Taliban have intensified restrictions, including a ban on photography and limitations on state-controlled visual media, now in effect in more than ten provinces. The Taliban’s “Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law extends to private and public life, encompassing monitoring photos and videos stored on personal devices like mobile phones and laptops.
Article 17 of this law, titled “Responsibilities of the Morality Police in Media and Information,” mandates officials to enforce “virtuous content” in media and prohibits any material deemed un-Islamic, disrespectful to Muslims, or containing images of animate beings. Additionally, Article 22 directs the Morality Police to prevent the creation and viewing of images and videos of living beings on computers, phones, and other devices.
Increasing frustration is evident among citizens, particularly women, who assert that the Taliban have stripped them of control over their lives, leaving them in constant fear and anxiety. Reports indicate that Taliban officers monitor men’s beards, enforce prayer attendance, prohibit music at weddings, and deploy female spies to surveil women’s gatherings, intruding into private spaces.
Local sources from Badakhshan province report that Taliban fighters raided a wedding attended only by women in the district of Shuhada. During the raid, they fired at the music equipment in the courtyard, in the presence of women and children.
A local source explained, “At midnight, the Taliban stormed in, demanding the speaker. The women brought a small speaker, but they rejected it, insisting on the white speaker (the larger one). They have spies to this extent. They detained the bride’s father until 2:00 a.m. They conduct attendance in the mosque five times a day and record it.”
In a recent event, a physical inspection of women in the Pasaband district of Ghor province on Saturday, October 26, sparked public outrage against the Taliban. Videos of the protests have circulated on social media, showing the Taliban using violence and opening fire to silence the demonstrators. Sources report that at least six people were injured by this gunfire.
A UN Security Council statement signed by 12 members, excluding China, Russia, and Algeria, condemned the Taliban’s law and demanded its immediate repeal, highlighting the law’s broad and impractical restrictions on personal conduct.
A joint statement from 12 members of the United Nations Security Council asserts, “In addition to previous decrees, this new directive confirms extensive and impractical restrictions on personal behavior and grants inspectors broad executive powers.”
The Taliban’s Law for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, published on August 20 this year, declares that a woman’s entire body, including her face and voice, is “awrah” (to be concealed) and that covering it is “mandatory.”
In a recent development, Afghanistan’s acting permanent representative to the United Nations called on the UN to recognize the Taliban’s gender-based apartheid as a crime against humanity during a Security Council session on women, peace, and security.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
ادامه وضع ممنوعیتهای طالبان؛ حتا شنیدن «الحمدالله و سبحانالله» از زبان زنان جایز نیست
