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

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan on Sunday (August 25) expressed concern over a new morality law recently ratified by the Taliban. The latest "morality" law places severe restrictions on women, forcing them to "ensure her voice is not heard" and penalising them if they don't.

UN's criticism of the law

Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), criticised the law for granting "moral inspectors" significant discretionary power.

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She pointed out that these inspectors could "threaten and detain anyone based on broad and sometimes vague lists of infractions".

"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 said.

As per AFP, while many of these restraints were already in place informally, this law formalises further constraints on their rights.

Otunbayeva said the new law "extends the already intolerable restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls, with even the sound of a female voice outside the home apparently deemed a moral violation". The UN has previously described the treatment of Afghan women as "gender apartheid".

She also raised concerns about the implications for religious and press freedoms. The law prohibits media from publishing content deemed "hostile to Sharia law and religion" or "that shows living beings".

However, UNAMA acknowledged some positive elements within the law, including protections against the abuse of orphans and the prohibition of "bacha bazi", a practice where boys are sexually exploited by older men.

Taliban's new vice and virtue law

The law, which was codified with 35 articles, introduces strict behavioural guidelines based on the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law).

Women, in particular, face severe restrictions under the new law, with mandates to cover their faces and bodies when outside and to remain unheard in public.

It also enforces punishments ranging from warnings and fines to detentions, depending on the severity of the perceived infractions, all under the authority of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

(With inputs from agencies)