AFGHANISTAN - Bans Women’s Voices and Faces in Public
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have issued a ban on women’s voices and bare faces in public under new laws approved by the supreme leader in efforts to combat vice and promote virtue.
They are set out in a 114-page, 35-article document seen by The Associated Press and are the first formal declaration of vice and virtue laws in Afghanistan since the takeover.
“Inshallah we assure you that this Islamic law will be of great help in the promotion of virtue and the elimination of vice,” said ministry spokesman Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq.
Article 13 relates to women. It says it is mandatory for a woman to veil her body at all times in public and that a face covering is essential to avoid temptation and tempting others. Clothing should not be thin, tight or short.
Women should veil themselves in front of all male strangers, including Muslims, and in front of all non-Muslims to avoid being corrupted. A woman’s voice is deemed intimate and so should not be heard singing, reciting, or reading aloud in public. It is forbidden for women to look at men they are not related to by blood or marriage and vice versa.
Article 19 bans the playing of music, the transportation of solo female travelers, and the mixing of men and women who are not related to each other. The law also obliges passengers and drivers to perform prayers at designated times.
-abcnews.go.com, 22 August 2024
Arno's Commentary
The suffering of the Afgan people is not described in detail in recent written history. As in all wars, the price is paid by women and children.
In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, with the aim of installing a communist-friendly government. But the USSR quickly found out that religion is stronger than politics, and in 1989, they withdrew their troops from Afghanistan.
It was in 2001 when US military forces entered Afghanistan, with the aim to eradicate the Taliban and establish a Western-friendly government. But that too was a failure, and forces were withdrawn from February 2020 to August 2021.
Afghanistan today, with a population of over 20 million, has a bad report card. Life expectancy is only 54.4 years, and the infant mortality rate is 101.3 per 1,000 births. GDP per capita is listed at about $2,000 a year.
The big question is, will the Taliban succeed? The answer is a resounding no. Why? History has taught us that when religion leads politics, catastrophe ensues.
In 380 AD, the emperor Theodosius declared Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman Empire. That was the marriage of politics and religion. Horrible massacres followed.
When religious politics attempted to force religion upon others, millions upon millions perished.
Later in 1517, the Reformation began under the leadership of Martin Luther. To a certain degree, that too was politically saturated, and horrible wars took place throughout Europe.
One of the most horrendous times was the Thirty-Years War. It was considered the most destructive conflict in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from the effect of the battles, famine, and disease. That was due to political Christianity.
Yet the Church in Afghanistan—mostly hidden—is alive. Afghanistan is not an exception to Jesus’ promise, “I will build my church.” Pray for the Church in Afghanistan.
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
