Afghan women sing in defiance of Taliban morality laws

Laws issued by the Taliban last week forbid women from singing and reading aloud in public because a woman's voice is deemed 'intimate.'

Afghan women are raising their voices in song to protest restrictive laws enacted by the Taliban, which ban women from singing and reading aloud in public.

The laws were issued last week by the ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice,” which was established in 2021 after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. The 114-page document covers vast aspects of everyday public life, with many notable restrictions on women’s freedoms.

It is now mandatory for women to veil their entire bodies, including their faces, at all times in public to avoid temptation and tempting others. This means that the common Islamic head-covering, the hijab, which covers the hair and neck but not the face, is no longer considered appropriate.

Women are also forbidden from singing, reciting and reading aloud in public, as a woman’s voice is deemed “intimate” and should not be heard. It’s unclear if speaking is also banned.

After the laws were passed, Afghan women both inside and outside the country began posting videos of themselves singing in defiance of the new laws. Some of the videos have gone viral on social media, prompting a wave of others to join the peaceful protest. The lyrics they sing often touch on themes of freedom.

Human Rights Watch researcher Fereshta Abbasi noticed one song in particular being repeated in many protest videos:

Here we are, the women, the world,Singing freedom like a birdRise up, my people,Rise up, my friend.Their boots might be on my neck.Or their fists to my face.But with our deep light insideI will fight through this night.

Habib Khan, the founder of Afghan Peace Watch and a former Wall Street Journal reporter, shared multiple videos of Afghan women singing in protest of the laws.