The Taliban in Afghanistan have formally enacted a set of 35 strict morality laws based on Islamic sharia, which include requiring women to cover their faces, men to grow beards, and banning music in cars, Reuter reports.
The laws have been widely criticized, particularly for their impact on women, by human rights groups and foreign governments. However, the Taliban claim to respect women’s rights according to their interpretation of Islamic law. The rules also restrict media, forbid transporting women without a male guardian, and ban images of living beings, with penalties such as detention, property confiscation, and referral to courts for non-compliance.
The codification of these laws is seen as an escalation of the Taliban’s ongoing crackdown, which has already led to the detention of over 13,000 people for various offenses. The Taliban, who suspended Afghanistan’s previous constitution in 2021, continue to govern the country according to their strict interpretation of sharia law.
