Taliban Defends New Virtue and Vice Laws Amid UN Criticism

The Taliban has rejected concerns raised by the United Nations over its new laws, which restrict women's rights and require them to cover their faces and voices in public. The group's spokesman claims the laws are a reflection of Islamic values and should be respected.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has dismissed criticism from the United Nations over its newly implemented vice and virtue laws, which impose strict restrictions on women and girls. The laws, issued last Wednesday, require women to cover their entire bodies, including their faces, and to refrain from speaking in public places.

Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), expressed alarm over the laws, calling them a "distressing vision" for the country's future. She highlighted the laws' exacerbation of the "already intolerable restrictions" on women's rights, extending to the suppression of female voices outside the home.

Taliban Defends New Virtue and Vice Laws Amid UN Criticism

In response, Zabihullah Mujahid, the main spokesman for the Taliban government, warned against "arrogance" from those who may not fully understand Islamic Sharia law. He urged a thorough comprehension of the laws and a respectful acknowledgment of Islamic values.

The new laws are part of the Taliban's ongoing effort to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law on Afghanistan. Since regaining control of the country in August 2021, the group has steadily eroded women's rights and freedoms.

Taliban Defends New Virtue and Vice Laws Amid UN Criticism

Otunbayeva condemned the Taliban's actions, emphasizing that after decades of war and amidst a devastating humanitarian crisis, the Afghan people deserve better than to be threatened or imprisoned for trivial offenses.

Mujahid, however, remained defiant, stressing that the concerns raised by the international community will not deter the Islamic Emirate from its commitment to upholding and enforcing Islamic Sharia law.

The UNAMA statement, released on Sunday, highlighted the alarming implications of the laws for women and girls in Afghanistan. Otunbayeva noted that the laws restrict women's access to education, employment, and essential services.

She also expressed concern over the Taliban's use of religious justifications to suppress women's rights. Otunbayeva stressed that Islamic teachings should be used to promote the rights and dignity of all, not to justify discrimination and oppression.

The Taliban's vice and virtue laws have drawn widespread condemnation from international human rights organizations. Amnesty International has called the laws a "catastrophic setback for women's rights in Afghanistan."

The UN's Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has expressed deep concern over the laws, saying they represent a "systematic rollback of women's basic rights."

The international community has urged the Taliban to reconsider the laws and to respect the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls. However, the Taliban has so far remained unyielding, indicating a bleak future for women's rights in Afghanistan under its rule.