ISLAMABAD — The Taliban’s government has imposed new restrictions affecting Afghan women, prohibiting them from praying audibly or reciting the Quran in front of other women. This latest decree is part of an ongoing series of limitations imposed on women’s rights, which include bans on raising their voices and covering their faces in public. Women in Afghanistan have also been excluded from education beyond sixth grade, restricted access to many public spaces, and are largely barred from most job opportunities.

Earlier this week, officials from the Vice and Virtue Ministry were unavailable to provide clarity on the comments made by Khalid Hanafi, the Vice and Virtue Minister, regarding whether these prohibitions would be officially integrated into the existing laws of morality. During an address in Logar province, Hanafi stated, “It is prohibited for a grown woman to recite Quranic verses or perform recitations in front of another grown woman. Even refrains of takbir (Allahu Akbar) are not allowed.” He added that uttering other expressions central to the Islamic faith, such as “subhanallah,” was also forbidden. In his remarks, Hanafi made it clear that women are not allowed to perform the call to prayer, emphasizing a strict prohibition on any form of singing as well.

Audio recordings of his statements circulated on the ministry’s social media accounts before they were subsequently removed. Following this, the ministry announced that they are launching a nationwide initiative aimed at raising awareness about the laws, which will involve ministry officials engaging with provincial and district levels of the public. The ministry elaborated, stating, “Organizing such programs will contribute to shaping public perception and increasing awareness of divine rulings.”

In addition to these restrictions, Afghan provinces have already implemented bans on media showing images of living beings, another measure that has been met with significant criticism domestically and internationally. After the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, they established the Ministry for the “Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,” which has since been tasked with enforcing various decrees from the Taliban leadership that disproportionately affect women and girls. Such regulations include dress codes, segregated educational systems, job limitations, and the requirement for women to have a male guardian while traveling.