Islmabad: Despite rare public opposition to the order, the Taliban declared on Tuesday that all beauty parlours in Afghanistan must now close as a one-month deadline came to an end.
The Taliban-run Virtue and Vice Ministry's spokesman, Sadiq Akif Mahjer, remained mum on whether force would be used against noncompliant salons. The decision is the most recent restriction on the rights and liberties of Afghan women and girls after decrees banning them from employment, public places, and most forms of education.
The Taliban claimed that it made the decision to outlaw beauty parlours because they provided services that were against Islamic law and put the grooms' families through financial hardship during wedding celebrations.
Also Read: Blinken's Bold Move: Tiny Tonga Becomes Battleground in US-China Pacific Showdown
Numerous hairdressers and makeup artists gathered in Kabul, the country's capital, in a rare instance of a public protest after the government's earlier announcement of a one-month deadline for salons to close their doors. To disperse the protest, security personnel fired their weapons into the air, used fire hoses, and stun guns.
International organisations concerned about the ban's effect on female entrepreneurs expressed their concern. The UN claimed that it was in contact with Afghan authorities to have the ban lifted.
Also Read: Inferno at Sea: Tragic Ship Fire Claims Life Amidst 3,000 Car Cargo Chaos
The de facto authorities have been urged to stop the edict banning beauty parlours, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "supports the efforts of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
On Monday, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said, "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."
The Taliban listed a number of beauty parlour services that they claimed were against Islam. The use of makeup, it claimed, interferes with the ablutions necessary before praying, as well as eyebrow shaping and the use of human hair to supplement a woman's natural hair. According to tradition, brides and their close female relatives must visit pre-wedding salons at the expense of the grooms' families.
"Getting your hair and nails done is not the point of this. 60,000 women will likely lose their jobs as a result. After the Taliban systematically destroyed the entire system set up to address domestic violence, this is about women losing one of the only places they could turn for community and support, according to Heather Barr, associate director for women's rights for the New York-based organisation Human Rights Watch.
Also Read: Taliban's Surprise Visit: Indonesia Welcomes Informal Delegation
Since seizing control of Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO forces withdrew, the Taliban have implemented harsh measures, in spite of initial promises of a more moderate rule than during their previous period of rule in the 1990s.
They have restricted media freedoms and banned women from using public facilities like gyms and parks. The actions have drawn vehement international criticism, deepening the nation's economic crisis and isolation, and escalating a humanitarian crisis.