Taliban’s Minister Declares Sharia & Women’s Hijab As Group’s Red Line

Taliban's Minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Khalid Hanafi, has reiterated that the implementation of Sharia, Islamic punishments (hudud), and the enforcement of the hijab are non-negotiable for Taliban government.

Speaking in Sar-e-Pul province, Hanafi described the newly signed "Law for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" as a demand from "the people of Afghanistan" and urged the international community to avoid "undue criticism”.

According to reports from Taliban-controlled National Radio and Television, Hanafi emphasised that the propagation of virtue is a "divine decree" and asserted that the Taliban government has an obligation to uphold these principles. He further stated that the establishment of the Taliban regime was intended to "implement the rituals of Islam”.

On Monday, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency quoted Hanafi as affirming that the newly enacted law is rooted in Islamic provisions. He also warned that anyone opposing the law will be held accountable.

The Taliban recently announced that their leader ratified the "Law for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice," which has introduced various restrictions on women in both public and private life. Human rights activists have condemned the new law, labelling it as a continuation of the Taliban's efforts to suppress and marginalise women from public life.