Breaking News: Taliban Declares Women's Voices Too Tempting as They Ban Women from Singing in Public or Looking at Nonrelatives

 Breaking News: Taliban Declares Women's Voices Too Tempting  as They Ban Women from Singing in Public or Looking at Nonrelatives 

The Taliban government has introduced strict new laws in Afghanistan, further tightening its control over women's rights and public life. According to the Associated Press, the Islamist group, which took power after the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces in 2021, has banned women’s voices and faces in public as part of its campaign to promote what it calls "virtue."

The new regulations are detailed in a 114-page rulebook issued by the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice, an institution the Taliban established after seizing control of the country. This document, approved by the group's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, outlines various aspects of daily life, including dress codes, public behavior, and social interactions.

Under the new laws, all women must cover their entire bodies when in public, with face coverings deemed essential to prevent what the Taliban describes as "temptation." Clothing must not be thin, tight, or short, and failing to comply with these rules could lead to arrest.

In addition to dress codes, the laws also severely limit women's presence in public life. A woman's voice is now considered too intimate to be heard in public, meaning women are forbidden from singing, reciting poetry, or reading aloud where others might hear them. The law also prohibits women from looking at men they are not related to by blood or marriage, and vice versa.

Other prohibitions include a ban on music, women traveling alone, and men and women socializing together unless they are immediate family members.

These harsh new rules have sparked widespread concern, with a recent United Nations report warning of the growing climate of fear in Afghanistan. Fiona Frazer, who leads the human rights service at the UN mission in Afghanistan, expressed deep concern over the Taliban's expanding oversight, saying it poses a significant threat to all Afghans, particularly women and girls.