Taliban Bans Women’s Voices
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The Taliban has introduced a strict rule in Afghanistan, preventing women from praying aloud or hearing each other’s voices during prayers. This rule, introduced by Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, claims that a woman’s voice is “awrah,” or something that must be hidden. According to Hanafi, this means women cannot even recite the Quran aloud in the presence of other women. The rule reflects ongoing restrictions on Afghan women’s freedoms, including bans on singing, public speaking and wearing specific attire.
Afghan activists abroad have condemned these measures, viewing them as attempts to erase women’s rights and participation in society. Some activists, like Zohal Azra and Zaki Haidari, are calling for international intervention, describing the situation as a form of “gender apartheid.” The new rule is seen as a troubling step in the Taliban’s increasing control over women’s public and private lives.
