The Taliban has banned women in Afghanistan from showing their faces or speaking in public, in laws described as a "distressing vision" for the future of the country by the United Nations.
The Taliban on Monday rejected concerns and criticism from the UN over new vice and virtue laws which ban women from baring their faces and having their voices heard in public spaces.
Roza Otunbayeva, who heads the UN mission in the country, UNAMA, said on Sunday the laws provided a "distressing vision" for Afghanistan's future.
She said the laws extend the "already intolerable restrictions" on the rights of women and girls, with "even the sound of a female voice" outside the home apparently deemed a moral violation.
During a Tuesday press briefing, UN human rights chief Volker Turk called for the Taliban to immediately repeal the "egregious" laws.
He said the passing of the new laws "cements policies that completely erase women's presence in public, silencing their voices and depriving them of their individual autonomy, effectively attempting to render them into faceless, voiceless shadows".
"This is utterly intolerable," he said.
Zabihullah Mujahid, main spokesman for the Taliban's government, in a statement warned against "arrogance" from those who may not be familiar with Islamic Sharia law, particularly non-Muslims who might express reservations or objections.
"We urge a thorough understanding of these laws and a respectful acknowledgement of Islamic values. To reject these laws without such understanding is, in our view, an expression of arrogance," he said.
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers last Wednesday issued the country's first set of laws to prevent vice and promote virtue.
They include a requirement for a woman to conceal her face, body and voice outside the home. They also ban images of living beings, such as photographs.
Penalties for violations included "advice, warnings of divine punishment, verbal threats, confiscation of property, detention for one hour to three days in public jails, and any other punishment deemed appropriate," the Justice Ministry added.
"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," Ms Otunbayeva said.
In response to the UNAMA statement, Mr Mujahid added, "We must stress that the concerns raised by various parties will not sway the Islamic Emirate from its commitment to upholding and enforcing Islamic Sharia law."
Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said the laws were "efforts to silence the voices of Afghanistan's women and girls", and condemned the Taliban's introduction of them.
The Taliban have used their interpretation of Islamic law to bar girls across Afghanistan from education beyond age 11, ban women from public spaces, exclude them from many jobs, and enforce dress codes and male guardianship requirements.
The Taliban's restrictions on women and freedom of expression have drawn sharp criticism from rights groups and many foreign governments since the former insurgents resumed control of Afghanistan in 2021.
"Day by day, they are trying to erase women from society," said a 37-year-old housewife in Kabul.
"The silence of the international community regarding the actions of the Taliban is encouraging them to create new laws and restrictions every day," added the woman, identified just by her first name, Halema.
AP/Reuters/ABC
