The Taliban have imposed yet another bizarre order against women that will curb their voices further. The strange edict tells women not to recite the Quran out loud, as per Amu TV, an Afghan news channel based in Virginia, United States.

The order comes from Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban minister for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice, who declared that women must refrain from reciting the Quran aloud in the presence of other women.

“When women are not permitted to call Takbir or Azan (Islamic call to prayer), they certainly cannot sing songs or music,” he said as per the report on Saturday.

The Telegraph also reported Hanafi as saying that when women are not allowed to hear each other's voices, how can they be allowed to sing? “Even when an adult female prays and another female passes by, she must not pray loudly enough for them to hear ... How could they be allowed to sing if they aren’t even permitted to hear [each other’s] voices while praying, let alone for anything else,” Hanafi said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/muhammad-alis-ex-wife-arrives-in-afghanistan-to-open-a-stadium-taliban-770865">Muhammad Ali’s ex-wife arrives in Afghanistan to open a stadium: Taliban</a>

The minister added that a woman’s voice is considered awrah, meaning that it must be covered, and shouldn’t be heard in public, even by other women.

While the diktat currently applies to prayers, experts fear that it will curtail women's freedom to talk to each other in public, thus further pushing them out of society.

The latest order comes after women were ordered in August to cover their entire bodies, including faces when stepping out.

<h2>Women barred from speaking in public</h2>

As per local media reports, women are forbidden from speaking out in public.

A midwife in Herat told Amu TV that female healthcare workers have been ordered not to speak in public, especially with male relatives. Notably, these are the only Afghan women who are allowed to work outside their homes.&nbsp;

"They don’t even allow us to speak at checkpoints when we go to work. And in the clinics, we are told not to discuss medical matters with male relatives,” the midwife told the channel.

Meanwhile, it is not confirmed whether the latest rule has been implemented yet or not, and if yes, then how wide the implication is, is not known.

Women face severe restrictions under the Taliban regime that returned to power in 2021.&nbsp;

The Taliban have imposed yet another bizarre order against women that will curb their voices further. The strange edict tells women not to recite the Quran out loud, as per Amu TV, an Afghan news channel based in Virginia, United States.

The Taliban have imposed yet another bizarre order against women that will curb their voices further. The strange edict tells women not to recite the Quran out loud, as per Amu TV, an Afghan news channel based in Virginia, United States. The order comes from Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban minister for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice, who declared that women must refrain from reciting the Quran aloud in the presence of other women. “When women are not permitted to call Takbir or Azan (Islamic call to prayer), they certainly cannot sing songs or music,” he said as per the report on Saturday. The Telegraph also reported Hanafi as saying that when women are not allowed to hear each other's voices, how can they be allowed to sing? “Even when an adult female prays and another female passes by, she must not pray loudly enough for them to hear ... How could they be allowed to sing if they aren’t even permitted to hear [each other’s] voices while praying, let alone for anything else,” Hanafi said. Also Read: Muhammad Ali’s ex-wife arrives in Afghanistan to open a stadium: Taliban The minister added that a woman’s voice is considered awrah, meaning that it must be covered, and shouldn’t be heard in public, even by other women. While the diktat currently applies to prayers, experts fear that it will curtail women's freedom to talk to each other in public, thus further pushing them out of society. The latest order comes after women were ordered in August to cover their entire bodies, including faces when stepping out. Women barred from speaking in public As per local media reports, women are forbidden from speaking out in public. A midwife in Herat told Amu TV that female healthcare workers have been ordered not to speak in public, especially with male relatives. Notably, these are the only Afghan women who are allowed to work outside their homes. "They don’t even allow us to speak at checkpoints when we go to work. And in the clinics, we are told not to discuss medical matters with male relatives,” the midwife told the channel. Meanwhile, it is not confirmed whether the latest rule has been implemented yet or not, and if yes, then how wide the implication is, is not known. Women face severe restrictions under the Taliban regime that returned to power in 2021.

Taliban ban women from hearing each other's voice while praying: Report

On September 8, the Taliban announced the formation of an interim government, declaring Afghanistan as the Islamic Emirate.

Two things stood out in the selection of key figures heading the government.

One, the new cabinet consisted of Taliban members in which 14 of them were on UN Security Council’s terrorism blacklist, including acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund and his both deputies.

Second, the conspicuous absence of a women minister and the dropping of the post for Ministry of Women under the new regime.

According to January 2021 data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), an international organization of Geneva-based international organization of national parliaments, women had occupied only 6.5 per cent of ministerial positions in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power.

Watch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://13.235.153.162/videos/gravitas-icc-silent-as-taliban-ban-womens-cricket-412196/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Around &nbsp;27% of the Afghan parliament was comprised of women, ranking it in line with the United States, where women make up 26.8 per cent of all members of Congress, according to the IPU.

Afghanistan’s share of women legislative members had hovered around 27 per cent since 2005, when the first session of the elected body sat after three decades. Under the 2004 Constitution, at least 68 of the 250 total seats of parliament's lower house are reserved for women, with two seats reserved for women for each of the country’s 34 provinces.

Now, the country joins the ranks of a dozen other countries where there are no women serving in high-ranking positions in government.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/aid-workers-staying-in-taliban-ruled-afghanistan-tread-a-tricky-path-411705">Aid workers staying in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan tread a tricky path</a>

They are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Brunei, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam and Yemen, the IPU data suggests.

According to the IPU and UN Women, the absence of women in Afghanistan's government bucks the global trend. Most countries have women in senior government positions, and the number of nations with women as heads of state or in government is at an all-time high.

Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/watch-taliban-education-minister-says-phd-and-masters-degrees-worthless-mullahs-greatest-without-them-411612">Taliban Education Minister says PhD and Master's degrees worthless, mullahs greatest without them</a>

There are 22 countries that have women as the head of state or government.

Europe is home to the majority of those countries led by women, including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Germany, Iceland and Norway.

Despite repeated assurances from the Taliban regime that they would respect the rights of the women, and that they would enjoy greater freedom under the new regime, a look at the cabinet members and some their recent controversial statements falls in contradiction to their promises.

Taliban spokesperson Sayed Zekrullah Hashimi, in an interview to Tolo News, had stated, "A woman can't be a minister, it is like you put something on her neck that she can’t carry.”

He added that it is not necessary for a woman to be in the cabinet, adding that women "should give birth".

"Women protesters can't represent all women in Afghanistan," he added.

Hashimi was responding to a series of protest organised by the women in Kabul seeking greater political rights in the government.

The Afghan women were then driven away by the Taliban who used whips and sticks against the protesters in the crackdown on dissent.

Videos and pictures&nbsp;showed the women chanting, "Long live the women of Afghanistan". Some held placards that read: "No government can deny the presence of women" and "I will sing freedom over and over."

The Taliban, according to witnesses, also beat up journalists covering the demonstration, the report said.

(With inputs from agencies)

On September 8, the Taliban announced the formation of an interim government, declaring Afghanistan as the Islamic Emirate. Two things stood out in the selection of key figures heading the government.

On September 8, the Taliban announced the formation of an interim government, declaring Afghanistan as the Islamic Emirate. Two things stood out in the selection of key figures heading the government. One, the new cabinet consisted of Taliban members in which 14 of them were on UN Security Council’s terrorism blacklist, including acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund and his both deputies. Second, the conspicuous absence of a women minister and the dropping of the post for Ministry of Women under the new regime. According to January 2021 data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), an international organization of Geneva-based international organization of national parliaments, women had occupied only 6.5 per cent of ministerial positions in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power. Watch Around 27% of the Afghan parliament was comprised of women, ranking it in line with the United States, where women make up 26.8 per cent of all members of Congress, according to the IPU. Afghanistan’s share of women legislative members had hovered around 27 per cent since 2005, when the first session of the elected body sat after three decades. Under the 2004 Constitution, at least 68 of the 250 total seats of parliament's lower house are reserved for women, with two seats reserved for women for each of the country’s 34 provinces. Now, the country joins the ranks of a dozen other countries where there are no women serving in high-ranking positions in government. Also read | Aid workers staying in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan tread a tricky path They are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Brunei, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam and Yemen, the IPU data suggests. According to the IPU and UN Women, the absence of women in Afghanistan's government bucks the global trend. Most countries have women in senior government positions, and the number of nations with women as heads of state or in government is at an all-time high. Watch | Taliban Education Minister says PhD and Master's degrees worthless, mullahs greatest without them There are 22 countries that have women as the head of state or government. Europe is home to the majority of those countries led by women, including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Germany, Iceland and Norway. Despite repeated assurances from the Taliban regime that they would respect the rights of the women, and that they would enjoy greater freedom under the new regime, a look at the cabinet members and some their recent controversial statements falls in contradiction to their promises. Taliban spokesperson Sayed Zekrullah Hashimi, in an interview to Tolo News, had stated, "A woman can't be a minister, it is like you put something on her neck that she can’t carry.” He added that it is not necessary for a woman to be in the cabinet, adding that women "should give birth". "Women protesters can't represent all women in Afghanistan," he added. Hashimi was responding to a series of protest organised by the women in Kabul seeking greater political rights in the government. The Afghan women were then driven away by the Taliban who used whips and sticks against the protesters in the crackdown on dissent. Videos and pictures showed the women chanting, "Long live the women of Afghanistan". Some held placards that read: "No government can deny the presence of women" and "I will sing freedom over and over." The Taliban, according to witnesses, also beat up journalists covering the demonstration, the report said. (With inputs from agencies)

Afghanistan among few countries with no women in top government positions: Report

The Afghan government has announced a new council to safeguard women’s rights and interests, amid fears peace talks with the Taliban could lead to the loss of hard-won gains. Watch report.

Afghanistan's council to safeguard women rights: Fear of Taliban curbing rights