In Afghanistan, women record themselves singing to protest the ban

Afghani Women Defy Taliban’s Ban on Female Voices

Dozens of Afghan women are joining an online protest movement against a new law that prohibits women from expressing themselves in public. The Taliban government recently announced the implementation of a law by the end of July aimed at “promoting virtue and preventing vice” in accordance with Islamic Sharia law. The law includes 35 articles with various obligations and restrictions for women, such as the prohibition of singing or reciting poetry in public.

Voices of Resistance

In response to the law, Afghan women inside the country and abroad have been sharing videos on social media of themselves singing, with slogans like “my voice is not forbidden” and “no to the Taliban.” Some videos show women singing while covered from head to toe, defiantly asserting their right to be heard despite the imposed restrictions.

Pushing Back Against Oppression

These women are not only singing but also making powerful gestures like raising their fists or tearing photos of the Taliban’s supreme leader, Emir Haibatullah Akhundzada. They are making it clear that a woman’s voice is not just sound but a symbol of justice and identity that should not be silenced or hidden.

International Concern

The new law prohibits women from singing or speaking in public, even within the confines of their homes. It dictates that adult women must cover their faces, bodies, and voices when leaving their homes. The international community, including the United Nations and human rights organizations, has expressed deep concern over the implementation of this law and the broader restrictions imposed on women’s freedom since the Taliban took power in August 2021.