The Taliban have ordered all Afghan women to wear a tight burka in public.
The blue burka became a global symbol of the former Taliban regime in the country from 1996 to 2001.
The decision to make it mandatory again marks an escalation of growing restrictions on women in public.
The Ministry of Ethical Propaganda and Prevention The Deputy Minister read the decree from the group’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada during a press conference in Kabul.
Khalid Hanafi, acting minister, said: “We want our sisters to live dignified and safe lives.
The decree says that a woman’s father or the nearest male relative would be visited and eventually jailed or fired from government jobs if she did not cover her face when outside the home.
It also says that if women don’t have important things to do outside, they’d better stay at home.
“Islamic principles and Islamic ideology are more important to us than anything else,” Hanafi said.
The decree adds that the ideal face coating is blue.
Shir Mohammad, an official from the ministry in charge and ethics, said: “For all formal Afghan women, wearing Hajib is necessary and the best Hajib is chadori (head-to-toe burka) which is part of the tradition. our traditions and are respected.”
Most women in Afghanistan wear headscarves for religious reasons, but many in urban areas like Kabul do not cover their faces.
The Taliban had previously decided not to reopen schools for girls above the 6th grade (around 11 years old), backtracking on its previous promise.
The international community has called on leaders to reconsider.
