By The United Nations Security Council issued a strong condemnation on Friday of the Taliban’s recently enacted morality law, which imposes severe restrictions on Afghan women’s rights and freedoms. The Council called on the international community to leverage its influence in pushing for an immediate reversal of these discriminatory policies.
Twelve of the 15 Security Council members backed the statement, denouncing “in the strongest terms” the Taliban’s systematic gender discrimination and oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan. China, Russia, and Algeria abstained from supporting the condemnation.
The Council’s response follows a decree by Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, which instructs Afghan women not to speak loudly in public and to cover their entire bodies and faces when outdoors. This 114-page, 35-article law, announced on August 21, details actions deemed mandatory or prohibited for men and women under the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Sharia law.
Key provisions of the law include prohibiting women from singing or reading poetry aloud, forbidding unrelated men and women from looking at each other, requiring women to cover themselves fully in the presence of non-Muslims, mandating men to grow beards longer than a fist and wear loose-fitting clothing, and outlawing disobedience to parents.
The morality police, operating under the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, are tasked with enforcing these rules.
Japan’s ambassador to the UN, Yamazaki Kazuyuki, speaking on behalf of the 12 supporting council members, emphasized that the Taliban must “listen and respond to the voices of Afghan women and girls by respecting their rights to education and for women, to work as well as the freedoms of expression and movement.” He added that this is “a prerequisite for a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.”
Council members stressed that the Taliban’s actions undermine international efforts to engage with them, referencing a meeting with UN special envoys in Doha two months ago aimed at finding ways to achieve peace for Afghanistan and its integration into the international community.
A diplomat, speaking anonymously, revealed that Russia and China had argued it would be “unfair” to judge an internal Afghan matter. The diplomat countered, stating, “Afghanistan will never thrive while half its population is being oppressed.”
Obaidullah Baheer, a lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan (now operating in exile), expressed hope that international engagement with Afghanistan would not be hindered. He emphasized the importance of supporting Afghans within the country who are fighting for their rights.
Since returning to power three years ago, the Taliban have implemented a series of restrictions on women’s rights, including banning girls over 12 from attending school beyond sixth grade, limiting women’s employment to select sectors like healthcare, prohibiting women from visiting parks and public entertainment spaces, and requiring women to be accompanied by a male guardian when traveling by road or air.
The international community continues to grapple with how to effectively address the ongoing human rights crisis in Afghanistan while maintaining diplomatic channels with the Taliban regime.
