Taliban rule|The situation in Afghanistan

The Taliban stop shaving, music and women's voices

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has hammered out a long series of moral rules that are in line with Sharia law. The laws are very far-reaching and cover several areas, AP writes:

• Music is prohibited.

• Female voices are classified as intimate, which means that, for example, female singing or reading aloud is prohibited in all public contexts.

• It becomes forbidden to even look at a person of the opposite sex unless it is a spouse or relative.

• Media are prohibited from publishing images of all living things.

• Shaving the beard is prohibited.

It is the first time such laws have been formally enacted since the Islamist movement seized power three years ago.

- This Islamic law will be of great help in promoting virtue and eliminating sin, says a spokesperson.

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"A gradual escalation of repression in Afghanistan"

With the fact that the Taliban have now hammered out the new far-reaching moral rules in Afghanistan, things that have also previously applied de facto are being formalized. This is what Heather Barr, a senior director of Human Rights Watch's women's affairs department, told Reuters.

- I think this is a sign of what we have seen over the past three years, namely a steady and gradual escalation of repression, she says.

Last month, the UN stated in a report that the Taliban's state apparatus is spreading to more and more parts of society, in a way that greatly restricts the freedoms of Afghans. According to the UN, it is a "major concern for all Afghans, especially women and girls".