Afghan Women Protest Taliban's Draconian Edicts Through Defiant Singing on Social Media

Afghan women have taken to social media to challenge the Taliban's oppressive laws, which the U.S. government claims are aimed at eliminating them from society. Women, both within Afghanistan and in the diaspora, have shared emotional videos of themselves singing, as a defiant response to the Taliban's restrictions that prevent women and girls from using their voices or showing their faces in public.

New Restrictions and International Response

Article 13 of the 114-page law adopted by the Taliban in August states that if a woman leaves her home, "she is obligated to hide her voice, face, and body." The U.S. administration has expressed growing frustration with the Taliban's regime, stating that the law aims to remove women completely from public life. U.S. Special Envoy Rina Amiri expressed concern over the "morality law" aimed at the complete erasure of women from public life, emphasizing that there is patience with the Taliban is running out.

Activism Amidst Repression

Activists and campaigners in Afghanistan, already living under intense Taliban scrutiny, have begun uploading protest videos of themselves singing and denouncing the law. In an interview with CBS News, three women from Afghanistan participating in the protests shared their determination to defy the Taliban's law, urging the international community to condemn the Taliban's gender-based oppression.

Personal Stories of Resistance

These women, who concealed their identities for safety reasons, shared their stories of oppression and their steadfast refusal to silence their voices despite the danger they face daily. Zuhal, who was forced to abandon her education due to the Taliban's rules, expressed her commitment to fighting back, as she has "no hope for the future." Hakima, a former midwifery student, emphasized the Taliban's fear of women's voices and the importance of holding the regime accountable for its actions before the international community. Through social media, these women implored the world not to forget the plight of women in Afghanistan.

Global Solidarity and Continued Activism

Women's rights activists beyond Afghanistan have joined the campaign, showing solidarity with the protesters. Prominent Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad shared a video of herself singing an Afghan song in support of the protests. Despite the Taliban's oppressive regime, Afghan women continue to resist and raise their voices in defiance, with Hakima and Zuhal attributing the lack of international recognition of the Taliban's regime to the power and determination of Afghan women.