Afghan Taliban codify long set of morality rules

Men asked to grow beards, women to cover faces

THE Afghan Taliban have codified a detailed set of rules governing morality, ranging from requiring women to cover their faces and men to grow beards, and stopping car drivers from playing music, Afghanistan’s Justice Ministry has said.

The rules, said to be in line with Sharia law, are based on a decree by the Taliban’s supreme spiritual leader in 2022 and have now been officially published as law, a Justice Ministry spokesman said.

According to the British and French news agencies, the morality ministry, formally called the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue, has already enforced similar morality requirements and has detained thousands of people for alleged violations. It is not immediately clear whether publication of the rules would lead to their stricter enforcement.

The Taliban’s restrictions on women and freedom of expression have drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and many foreign governments since the former insurgents resumed control of Afghanistan in 2021.

“Day by day, they are trying to erase women from society,” said a 37-year-old housewife in Kabul. “The silence of the international community regarding the actions of the Taliban is encouraging them to create new laws and restrictions every day,” added the woman, identified just by her first name, Haleema.

Western capitals, led by Washington, have said the path to formal recognition of the Taliban is largely stalled until they reverse course on women’s rights and open high schools to girls. The Taliban say they respect women’s rights in accordance with their interpretation of Sharia law and local customs and that internal matters should be addressed locally.

The 35-article morality law was officially enacted and published on Wednesday after being ratified by Supreme Spiritual Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, said Justice Ministry spokesperson Barakatullah Rasoli.

“According to this law, the Ministry [for Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue] is obligated to promote good and forbid evil in accordance with Islamic Sharia,” the Justice Ministry said in a statement.