Taliban reject UN's criticism of vice and virtue laws, urge 'acknowledgement of Islamic values'

The ruling Taliban administration in Afghanistan on Monday (Aug 26) rejected the concerns and criticism raised by the United Nations (UN) over the new vice and virtue laws that ban Afghan women from baring their faces and speaking in public places.

In a statement, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid warned against arrogance from those who he said may not be familiar with Islamic law. "We urge a thorough understanding of these laws and a respectful acknowledgement of Islamic values," Mujahid said.

Also read | Taliban's new diktat for women: No singing, reciting or reading aloud in public to 'avoid temptation'

"To reject these laws without such understanding is, in our view, an expression of arrogance,” he added. 

What did the UN say?

On Sunday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan's (UNAMA) head Roza Otunbayeva said that the vice and virtue laws provided a “distressing vision” for Afghanistan’s future.

Also read | UN concerned about Taliban's new vice and virtue law, the discretionary power it gives 'moral inspectors'

Otunbayeva said that the laws extend the already intolerable restrictions on the rights of women and girls, with “even the sound of a female voice” outside the home apparently deemed a moral violation.

“After decades of war and in the midst of a terrible humanitarian crisis, the Afghan people deserve much better than being threatened or jailed if they happen to be late for prayers, glance at a member of the opposite sex who is not a family member, or possess a photo of a loved one,” she added. 

In response to the UNAMA, Taliban spokesperson Mujahid stressed that concerns raised by various parties "will not sway the Islamic Emirate from its commitment to upholding and enforcing Islamic law."

Last week, the Taliban issued the first set of laws to discourage vice and promote virtue. These included a requirement for women to conceal their face, body and voice outside the home. 

A rare criticism of the Taliban by Japan

In a rare public criticism of the Taliban, the Japanese embassy in Kabul expressed deep concerns over the continuing restrictions on women and girls as announced in the laws.

In a post on X, the embassy said on Monday, "We will encourage the de facto government, in coordination with the international community, to listen to the voices of Afghan women and girls for education, employment and freedom of movement for Afghanistan's future."

(With inputs from agencies)