KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban governor’s office in the central province of Daikundi announced that it has begun instructing public employees on its new “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law, commonly referred to as the “morality law,” a directive that has prompted strong domestic and international backlash.
Taliban officials in Daikundi said the educational sessions would continue regularly for all public-sector employees under their authority.
The controversial law imposes stringent restrictions, banning girls’ education and prohibiting women’s voices and public appearances. It categorizes hearing a woman’s voice in spaces shared with men as “haram,” or religiously forbidden.
In a recent statement, Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s Minister for the Promotion of Virtue, took the directive a step further, declaring that a grown woman’s voice is “haram” even in the presence of other adult women. This interpretation has drawn sharp criticism from religious scholars, who argue it reflects an extreme interpretation of Islam.
The “Promotion of Virtue” law has intensified scrutiny of the Taliban’s policies, with critics warning that such measures deepen Afghanistan’s isolation and infringe upon women’s rights and freedoms.
