European Union shocked by ban on Afghan women singing

Brussels – The European Union is “shocked” by a new law issued in Afghanistan by the Taliban that prohibits women from speaking publicly. “This deprives Afghan women of the fundamental right to expression,” said Josep Borrell, the high representative for EU foreign policy, on Monday in a press release.

The new “virtue law” further expands the restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan. For example, women must always cover their bodies and faces in public and are not allowed to sing or read aloud. Their voices must not be audible in public.

“This decision is once again a severe blow to the rights of Afghan women and girls, which we cannot tolerate,” says Borrell. “We urge the Taliban to put an end to the systematic and systemic abuse of women and girls in Afghanistan, which can amount to gender-based persecution, a crime against humanity.”

The Taliban, who regained power in Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, say they want to restore ties with the international community, but decisions like implementing this law only make it more impossible, according to Borrell.

In a recorded statement delivered to the French news agency AFP, the spokesman for the Taliban government said that the law with 35 articles will be applied “sparingly” and that no “violence and oppression” will be used. (26/08/2024)