Kabul, Afghanistan – In a controversial move that further restricts the freedoms of women in Afghanistan, the Taliban government has issued a new fatwa prohibiting women from reciting the Quran aloud in the presence of other women. The decree, announced by Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, a prominent minister within the Taliban regime, has sparked widespread concern about the ongoing erosion of women’s rights under the current government. According to Hanafi, women should refrain from loud recitation of the Quran when other women are nearby, citing the belief that a woman’s voice is considered 'Awara' an Arabic term implying that it should not be heard publicly.
This latest directive adds to a growing list of restrictions imposed on Afghan women since the Taliban regained control of the country in August 2021. Critics of the fatwa argue that it poses a significant threat to women's ability to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and religious practice. Concerns have been raised that such regulations could push women further away from public life and diminish their voices within society. This recent fatwa is part of a broader pattern of restrictive measures taken by the Taliban government.
Notably, last August, the regime mandated that women must cover their faces and bodies in public and previously issued orders limiting interactions between women and men. As Afghanistan continues to grapple with the implications of Taliban rule, the international community watches closely, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all individuals, particularly women, in the country. The new fatwa serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and autonomy faced by Afghan women in the current sociopolitical landscape.
