Afghan women will have to cover their faces with an Islamic veil for the first time in decades, according to a decree approved by the Taliban militants who rule the country.
Any woman who refuses to comply and ignore official warnings to your male family members you could see a male guardian jailed for three days.
The Taliban already imposed the burqa to all women during his first term in power in the 1990s 90.
But since they took over last year they hadn’t enforced in Afghan cities.
Many women in Afghanistan already wear the burqa but some, particularly in urban areas, only wear a simple covering over their hair.
The decree was approved by the Ministry of Prevention n of Vice and Promotion of Virtue of the Taliban.
Taliban officials described the decree as a “counsel”, but exposed a set of specific gradual steps for anyone who does not comply:
- First instance, her home would be visited and the woman’s husband, brother or father would be spoken to.
- In the second, her male tutor would be summoned to the ministry.
In the third, the male guardian would be put on trial and could be imprisoned for three days.
The Koran, the holy book of Islam, tells Muslims, men and women, to dress modestly.
It has been interpreted that masculine modesty consists in covering the area from the navel to the knee.
For women, it is generally considered that is covers t All except the face, hands and feet when in the presence of men to whom they are not related or married.
Nevertheless , there has been much debate within Islam as to whether this is sufficient.
This has led to a distinction between the hijab (literally “cover” in Arabic) and the niqab (meaning “full veil” ).
The hijab is typically a scarf that covers the hair and neck, while the niqab is a face veil that leaves the area around the eyes uncluttered.
It is worn with an accompanying headscarf or a abaya, a full-length robe, and sometimes with a separate transparent veil for the eyes.
The burqa covers the entire face and the body, leaving only a mesh screen to see through.
Muc Many of the strict rules imposed by the Taliban in daily life are directed at women.
Afghanistan has become the only country in the world that publicly limits education by gender, a major sticking point in attempts by Taliban to gain international legitimacy.
Girls have been prohibited from receiving secondary education, the ministry of women’s affairs has been dissolved and, in many cases, no has allowed women to work.
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