The Taliban declared Tuesday that all beauty salons in Afghanistan must shut down.
The administration initially announced in July that the salons had a month-long deadline to shut down, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Taliban-run Virtue and Vice Ministry spokesman, Sadiq Akif Mahjer, has not specified whether the administration will resort to forceful tactics against salons that don’t follow the ruling.
The Taliban imposed the ban due to salons offering services such as eyebrow shaping and makeup application, AP reported. Such practices infringe Islam because they allegedly prevent Muslims from showing proper respect when offering prayers, according to the outlet. (RELATED: ‘They’re Afraid’: Beauty School Co-founder Details Her Harrowing Attempt To Help Evacuate Afghan Women)
The salon’s closure “represents another grim milestone for women’s rights in Afghanistan,” according to The New York Times, as beauty salons were reportedly one of the rare public spaces for women to meet and socialize outside their own homes. International groups have expressed concerns the law could hurt female entrepreneurs, according to the outlet.
All women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan are set to close on Tuesday, officials said, as part of a Taliban announcement early this month that the women-only spaces were forbidden under Shariah law.https://t.co/LieOqqiN5T
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 25, 2023
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres supports the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in its efforts to stop the ban on beauty salons, AP reported, citing UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. “UNAMA has said that this restriction on women’s rights will impact negatively on the economy and contradicts support for women’s entrepreneurship, and we’re seeking a reversal of the bans,” Haq said.
The Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The administration has enacted laws leading the country to an increased state of isolation, despite Taliban leaders’ early claims to implement a more moderate regime, AP reported.