In recent weeks, reports have emerged of the Taliban’s morality police enforcing a new set of stringent laws designed to “promote virtue and prevent vice” in Afghan society. Afghans are increasingly self-policing their behavior to avoid run-ins with these officials.
What is Vice and Virtue Law in Afghanistan?
The new law issued by the Taliban government outlines 35 articles that enforce their strict interpretation of Islamic rules and practices. Among the most controversial provisions are those restricting women’s freedoms and dictating specific behaviors for men. Some of the key elements of this law include:
- Women’s Restrictions: Women are forbidden from raising their voices in public and from singing or reciting poetry aloud. Women are also required to cover themselves completely, even in the presence of non-Muslim women.
- Restrictions for Men: Men are mandated to grow beards longer than a fist and wear loose clothing that covers the body from the navel to the knees. The practice of sodomy is banned, even within marriage.
Media and Social Restrictions: The law prohibits media from mocking or insulting Islam and requires transport companies to adjust schedules to accommodate prayer times. Additionally, Muslims are advised against befriending or assisting non-Muslims. - Ban on Games and Imagery: Certain traditional games have been outlawed, and taking or viewing photographs of living beings on digital devices is forbidden.
- Family Obedience: Disobedience to parents has also been criminalized.
Changes for Afghanistan Society
Since the new law was announced on August 21, 2024, there has been a noticeable increase in the scrutiny and monitoring of behavior by Taliban officials. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, a revived arm of the Taliban government, has been tasked with enforcing these rules.
Reports indicate that patrols in Kabul have warned women against traveling without a male “mahram” (a male chaperone who is a close relative) and cautioned them for not fully covering their hair or hands.
In Mazar-e-Sharif, taxi drivers have been repeatedly warned against transporting women who do not comply with dress codes, and in central Parwan, women have faced criticism for not covering their faces completely.
Men, too, have felt the effects of this new law. A 23-year-old man in Kabul reported being stopped three times and questioned about his lack of a beard. To avoid trouble, he promised to grow one. In other instances, bank employees have abandoned Western-style clothing in favor of traditional attire to adhere to the new regulations.
Despite these enforcement efforts, some elements of the law have not yet been fully implemented. For example, women’s voices were still being broadcasted on TV and radio at the time of writing.
What were previous restrictions?
Since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban has periodically introduced various social restrictions aimed at separating men and women and enforcing their interpretation of Islamic law. Many of these earlier measures overlap with the newly codified rules, such as:
- The long-standing ban on girls attending secondary schools and women attending universities.
- Mandating that women traveling in public must be chaperoned by a male family member and covered from head to toe.
- Enforcing prayer at specific times and banning public music and gambling.
- Requiring the segregation of men and women in most public places.
- Banning adultery, homosexuality, and drug addiction.
- While some of these rules were already being enforced, the new law provides a more comprehensive framework for the Taliban’s vision of Afghan society. It also details a range of punishments for violations, from verbal warnings to fines and detentions.
What remains uncertain and is a grey area for now?
The new law leaves many aspects vague and open to interpretation. For instance:
- Women are only allowed to leave their homes for “urgent needs,” but the law does not define what qualifies as urgent.
- It is unclear whether the ban on friendships or assistance to non-Muslims extends to working with international organizations, which provide crucial aid to Afghanistan’s struggling economy.
- The law’s impact on the Taliban’s own dealings with Western nations remains ambiguous, potentially isolating the country further.
- Questions remain about how media restrictions, particularly those involving digital content on phones and televisions, will be enforced.
- The most significant uncertainty revolves around how strictly these laws will be implemented across different regions of Afghanistan. A United Nations report from July highlighted “ambiguities and inconsistencies” in the enforcement of previous morality measures, raising doubts about the uniform application of the new rules.
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