Taliban rejects UN concerns over laws banning women's voices and bare faces in public

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban on Monday rejected concerns and criticism of the United Nations over new vice and virtue laws which ban women in Afghanistan from baring their faces and speaking in public places.

Roza Otunbayeva, who heads the U.N. mission in the country, UNAMA, said Sunday the laws provided a “distressing vision” for Afghanistan’s future. She said the laws extend the “ already intolerable restrictions ” on the rights of women and girls, with “even the sound of a female voice” outside the home apparently deemed a moral violation.

Zabihullah Mujahid, main spokesman for the Taliban’s government, in a statement warned against “arrogance” from those who may not be familiar with Islamic Sharia law, particularly non-Muslims who might express reservations or objections.

“We urge a thorough understanding of these laws and a respectful acknowledgment of Islamic values. To reject these laws without such understanding is, in our view, an expression of arrogance,” he said.

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers last Wednesday issued the country’s first set of laws to prevent vice and promote virtue.

They include a requirement for a woman to conceal her face, body and voice outside the home. They also ban images of living beings, such as photographs.

“After decades of war and in the midst of a terrible humanitarian crisis, the Afghan people deserve much better than being threatened or jailed if they happen to be late for prayers, glance at a member of the opposite sex who is not a family member, or possess a photo of a loved one,” Otunbayeva said.

In response to the UNAMA statement, Mujahid added, “We must stress that the concerns raised by various parties will not sway the Islamic Emirate from its commitment to upholding and enforcing Islamic Sharia law."

Taliban rejects UN concerns over laws banning women's voices and bare faces in public

FILE - Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 23, 2023. The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry had on May 7, 2022 ,said women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

Taliban rejects UN concerns over laws banning women's voices and bare faces in public

NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — A pro-Israel rally in a Boston suburb turned violent Thursday evening when a passerby was shot during a scuffle after confronting a group of demonstrators, authorities said.

Police were called at 6:40 p.m. to the scene of what they described as a small rally in Newton. Words were exchanged before a passerby rapidly crossed the street and tackled one of the demonstrators, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said.

“A scuffle ensued. During that scuffle, the individual who had come across the street was shot by a member of the demonstrating group,” Ryan said during a news conference late Thursday.

Scott Hayes, 47, of Framingham, was arrested on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and violation of a constitutional right causing injury. He is scheduled to be arraigned in district court Friday, Ryan said.

The shooting victim, who was not identified, was being treated at a hospital for life-threatening injuries, Ryan said.

Acting Newton Police Chief George McMains asked witnesses to provide investigators with photos or videos of the confrontation. He said police would provide extra patrols at “houses of worship” over the next several days.

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller called the shooting a “frightening incident” and asked for everyone to remain calm as police investigate.

“I know people will have a lot of questions, and we will share information with Newtonians and the press when we are able,” Fuller said. “It's really early stages of an active investigation.”

Police respond after a shooting at a pro-Israel rally in the Boston suburb of Newton, Mass., on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Kiera McDonald/The Boston Globe via AP)