The Taliban dismissed the United Nations’ recent concerns over newly introduced vice and virtue laws in Afghanistan that impose severe restrictions on women’s visibility and public speech. The UN has expressed alarm over these regulations, which mandate that women must conceal their faces and voices in public settings.
Roza Otunbayeva, who heads the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), described the new laws as a “disturbing vision” for the country’s future. She criticized the measures as extending the “already unbearable constraints” on women and girls, noting that even the presence of a woman’s voice in public has been deemed a moral infraction.
In response, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement that cautioned against what he termed “presumptuousness” from those who may not fully understand Islamic principles. He particularly directed this message at non-Muslim critics, asserting that their opposition reflects a lack of respect for Islamic values.
“We urge everyone to gain a comprehensive understanding of these laws and to respect Islamic traditions. Disregarding these laws without such comprehension is, in our view, a sign of arrogance,” Mujahid stated.
On Wednesday, the Taliban implemented Afghanistan’s first set of vice and virtue laws, mandating that women must cover their faces, bodies, and voices when outside their homes. The regulations also prohibit the display of images of living beings, including photographs.
Otunbayeva, responding to the Taliban’s new regulations, criticized the measures as punitive and unjust. She argued that, given the ongoing humanitarian crisis and decades of conflict, Afghans deserve policies that do not criminalize minor infractions such as tardiness for prayers or possessing personal photographs.
In a rare move of public dissent, the Japanese Embassy in Kabul voiced strong disapproval of the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls. The embassy used the social platform X to call on the authorities to “heed the voices of Afghan women and girls” regarding their rights to education, employment, and freedom of movement, stressing that these freedoms are essential for the nation’s future.
The UNAMA and international community continue to pressure the Taliban to reconsider these restrictions, advocating for a return to more inclusive policies that respect the rights and freedoms of all Afghan citizens.