KABUL: The Taliban government in Afghanistan announced on Monday that it would enforce a recently ratified morality law “gently,” following widespread concern from both the international community and Afghan citizens about the potential for increased restrictions and harsh enforcement.
The law, comprising 35 articles, was unveiled last Wednesday by Afghanistan’s justice ministry. It imposes stringent guidelines on public behavior, dress codes, and social interactions, mandating that women cover themselves entirely and refrain from raising their voices in public.
The law also dictates specific rules for men, including regulations on clothing and beard length, while banning homosexuality, animal fighting, public music performances, and the celebration of non-Muslim holidays.
The United Nations, various human rights organizations, and Afghan citizens have expressed concerns that this law could lead to stricter enforcement of the already severe regulations the Taliban authorities have imposed since they seized power in 2021.
Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat sought to reassure the public and international observers in a voice message shared with AFP, stating, “I must make it clear that force and oppression won’t be used while implementing these rules.” He emphasized that the enforcement would be conducted “very gently, informing people’s understanding, and guiding them.”
The Taliban government has consistently rejected international criticism of its policies, particularly regarding the treatment of women. The United Nations has described the restrictions on women as “gender apartheid”.
The morality police, operating under the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, will be responsible for enforcing these regulations.
Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, has voiced strong concerns about the new law, describing it as a “distressing vision for Afghanistan’s future, where moral inspectors have discretionary powers to threaten and detain anyone based on broad and sometimes vague lists of infractions.”
