Without the Voice of Women

Photo by Mahboba Rezayi

The current situation in Afghanistan is anything but simple. However, since the Taliban seized power in 2021, the situation for women has deteriorated dramatically. Recently, the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, formerly known as the Ministry of Women's Affairs, introduced yet another law approved by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. This new legislation forbids women from speaking in public. According to Tassfir Siaposh, a teacher and women's rights advocate interviewed by Al Jazeera, this regulation—and others like it—has little to do with Islam or Afghan values and everything to do with patriarchy.

While opinions within Afghanistan are divided and outsiders must respect the culture and sovereignty of others, these laws raise important questions about universal human rights. One of the main challenges is recognizing that we are speaking from a Western perspective, which, for many, is the only available lens. Still, this shouldn’t prevent us from recognizing injustices occurring elsewhere. The brutal U.S. invasion undeniably left lasting scars on Afghan society, and it is obvious that Afghans have the right to self-determination over their land, culture, politics, and religion. But as Siaposh notes, what is happening is not Islam or Afghan tradition per se.

Among the so-called temporary regulations is a ban preventing girls from attending school. If deemed “unfaithful,” they face execution by stoning. They cannot leave home without a male escort, and though this is not new, we must ask ourselves why we have normalized it. They are forced to cover every inch of their bodies, including their faces and eyes, with thick veils to avoid promoting “vice” to men. Yet violence against Afghan women persists, perhaps because the real issue lies with the perpetrators, not their victims.

Although the Taliban are Afghan, not all Afghans are Taliban. The Taliban’s rules do not define Islam—they reflect a specific interpretation of Islam. This distinction matters; otherwise, the evident injustice could fuel Islamophobia, and that’s misguided. 

Afghan women's future in Afghanistan seems bleak. In the mini-documentary by Al Jazeera, Aziza, a young student, says, "Being a woman should not be a shame. It is a source of strength". Could this have anything to do with the laws being enforced?