The Complex Beauty Of Afghanistan: Unraveling The Truth About Women And Makeup

Afghan women's relationship with makeup is complex and has changed over time, influenced by cultural, religious, and political factors. In recent years, the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan has resulted in a series of restrictions on women's rights, including a ban on beauty salons, which has impacted women's financial freedom and their ability to earn a living. Prior to the Taliban's resurgence, beauty salons were a thriving industry, providing women with a safe, female-only space to meet and work. Afghan women's use of makeup, particularly at weddings, was also noted by American beauticians who introduced Western-style beauty ideas to Afghan women through courses. Traditionally, Afghan women have used kohl, a type of eyeliner, for cosmetic, medicinal, and cultural purposes. However, with the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture, the use of makeup by women has become contentious, with some religious edicts prohibiting its use as it is deemed un-Islamic and a cause of marital infidelity.

Afghan women are ordered to cover their faces in public, with their eyes being the only feature visible

In May 2022, the Taliban ordered Afghan women to cover their faces in public, with their eyes being the only visible feature. This was one of the harshest restrictions imposed on Afghanistan's women since the Taliban seized power in 2021. The decree, issued by the Taliban chief Haibatullah Akhunzada, stated that women should wear a "chadori" (head-to-toe burqa) as it is "traditional and respectful". The Taliban's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice further clarified that the ideal face covering is the burqa, which was obligatory for women during the group's previous rule from 1996 to 2001.

The decree has faced strong backlash from both the international community and many Afghans, as it is seen as a cruel restriction on women's rights and freedom. According to the decree, if a woman's face is seen in public, her male "guardian" will be held responsible and face fines, imprisonment, or dismissal from government jobs. This strategy of making male relatives the enforcers of the decree has been particularly disturbing, as it strips women of their agency and the ability to make their own decisions.

Despite the Taliban's claims that the burqa is part of Afghanistan's culture and tradition, many women in urban areas, such as Kabul, did not cover their faces before this decree. The new restriction is part of a growing system of controls that activists have attacked as "gender apartheid," and it is likely to hinder the Taliban's bid for international recognition and support. The United Nations' mission to Afghanistan has expressed deep concern over the announcement and plans to seek meetings with the Taliban to discuss the issue.

While the Taliban justifies this restriction in the name of religion and tradition, it has caused fear and anger among Afghan women, who see it as a loss of their hard-won rights and an attempt to erase their existence in public life. This decree is a stark reminder of the Taliban's oppressive regime and their commitment to imposing their interpretation of Islamic law on the country's female population.

The Taliban's strict dress code for women includes the burqa, abaya, and chadori

The Taliban's strict dress code for women in Afghanistan has been met with dismay and outrage by women's rights activists and Afghan women. The dress code includes the burqa, abaya, and chadori, and has been deemed an attempt to erase women's lived experiences of freedom and turn them into invisible, private citizens.

The Taliban's decree states that women must wear head-to-toe clothing in public, with only their eyes visible, and recommends the burqa, also known as the chadori. This is not a new restriction for Afghan women, as the Taliban enforced similar harsh rules during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001. The new decree has been described as "gender apartheid" and a step towards "seeing the dominance of these really retrograde, out-of-touch elements of the Taliban."

In addition to the burqa, the Taliban considers the abaya, a long black veil covering a woman from head to toe, as acceptable hijab. The Taliban's interpretation of hijab refers to clothing that covers the head and body fully, contrary to the usage of the term in much of the Arab and wider Muslim world, where it refers primarily to a headscarf. The decree states that any garment covering the body is considered a hijab as long as it is not tight-fitting or thin enough to reveal the body.

The Taliban's dress code not only restricts women's clothing but also their mobility and access to rights. Women are no longer permitted to travel long distances alone and must be accompanied by a male relative or chaperone. The Taliban has also banned women from working outside the fields of healthcare or education and has prevented girls from receiving a secondary education.

The enforcement of the dress code falls on women's male relatives, who are responsible for ensuring their female family members comply with the rules. If a woman is seen in public without proper covering, her male guardian will first receive a warning, then be summoned, and for repeated offences, be imprisoned for three days. For women who work for the government or whose guardians work for the government, there is an additional punishment of being fired from their jobs.

The Taliban justifies these restrictions as necessary for women's safety and dignity, claiming that it protects them from "the evil and corruption of those who are [morally] corrupt" and prevents social disorder or fitna. However, critics argue that the Taliban is using religion as a pretext to control women's bodies and lives, and that their interpretation of Islam is narrow and contradictory to Islamic tradition.

The international community has largely condemned the Taliban's actions and recognised the severity of the situation for Afghan women. However, despite pressure and sanctions, the Taliban has remained unyielding, and women's rights continue to erode in Afghanistan.

Afghan women are forbidden from wearing makeup because it is considered ''un-Islamic'' and may lead to adultery

Afghan women have been forbidden from wearing makeup because it is considered "un-Islamic" and may lead to adultery. This prohibition is part of a larger effort by the Taliban administration to restrict women's rights and freedoms in Afghanistan. The ban on makeup is included in a sweeping fatwa, or religious edict, issued by mullahs in the country's conservative north. The fatwa, which will not be challenged by the religious establishment in Kabul, imposes new clothing requirements and prohibits women from going outside without a male chaperone. It has already led to violence, with the mayor of Deh Salah killed by an angry shopkeeper while campaigning to close cosmetic stores.

The Taliban's restrictions on women's appearance and their interpretation of Islamic law have sparked protests from those who believe that makeup is acceptable within the religion as long as it is not used to attract non-mahram men, or men who are not immediate relatives. Some Muslim women continue to wear makeup, especially in more rural areas where they are required to wear the hijab. However, the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law has effectively banned the use of cosmetics by women in Afghanistan, with severe consequences for those who do not comply.

The ban on makeup is just one of many restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women in Afghanistan since they regained control of the country in 2021. Other measures include the closure of high schools and universities to female students and a ban on female aid staff from working, significantly limiting women's access to education and employment. The Taliban have also ordered the shuttering of women's beauty salons, which provide a safe, female-only space and are often the primary source of income for families. These actions indicate a broader effort to limit women's rights and freedoms in Afghanistan and roll back any progress made during the years when the country was not under Taliban rule.

While the Taliban claim to respect women's rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture, their actions suggest otherwise. The restrictions on makeup and other aspects of women's appearance are based on the belief that women should not "show off their adornment" to non-mahram men and that their full beauty should be reserved for their husbands and close male relatives. This interpretation of Islamic law has been used to justify controlling and limiting women's behaviour and choices, with severe punishments threatened for those who do not comply.

The prohibition on makeup for Afghan women is ultimately based on a strict and conservative interpretation of Islamic law that values modesty and traditionalism. While there are varying opinions within the Muslim community about the acceptability of makeup, the Taliban's extreme stance has effectively stripped away the rights and freedoms of women in Afghanistan, including their ability to express themselves and support their families through careers in the beauty industry.

Afghan women who do not comply with the Taliban's orders are threatened with punishment, which includes fines and imprisonment for their male relatives

Afghan women have been subjected to strict rules and harsh penalties under the Taliban regime. Women who do not comply with the Taliban's orders are threatened with violent punishment, and their male relatives may face fines and imprisonment.

The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, and during this time, women's rights were severely restricted. Even after the US-led invasion in 2001, some regions of Afghanistan, such as the Deh Salah area of Baghlan province, remained Taliban strongholds. In 2016, a fatwa was issued in this region prohibiting women from going outside without a male escort and banning the use of cosmetics, among other restrictions. Women who disobeyed these rules were threatened with violent punishment, and the edict stated that "if officials do react to our demands, we will start a jihad." This fatwa triggered violence, and the Deh Salah mayor, Abdul Rassoul, was killed while campaigning to close cosmetic stores.

The Taliban's treatment of women includes harsh penalties for those who break their decrees. For example, in October 1996, a woman had the tip of her thumb cut off for wearing nail varnish, and in December of the same year, 225 Kabul women were lashed for violating the Sharia code of dress. The Taliban's official stance, however, is that they cannot directly punish women. Instead, they use indirect methods to pressure women into compliance, such as punishing male relatives or others who interact with them. For instance, taxi drivers who picked up women with their faces uncovered or unaccompanied by a male relative could be jailed, and the woman's husband would also be punished. The Taliban have also enforced decrees that limit women's mobility and employment, such as requiring women to be escorted by male relatives outside the home and threatening to fire male guardians from government jobs if their female relatives do not abide by the law.

The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan and other rights groups have sharply criticised the Taliban's treatment of women and the punishment of male relatives for women's non-compliance. These decisions are expected to harm the Islamic Emirate's chances of gaining international recognition. Despite these criticisms and the Taliban's claim that the decree is only advisory, the restrictions on women's rights continue to be enforced, negatively impacting women's employment and access to education.

The enforcement of the face-covering order is carried out by the Taliban ministry known as Vice and Virtue or Amr bil-Maruf

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, or the Vice and Virtue ministry, is the Taliban's state agency in charge of implementing Islamic law in Afghanistan. It was first instituted in 1992 by the Rabbani government and later adopted by the Taliban in 1996. The ministry was disbanded in 2001 after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, but it was restored in 2021 after the fall of Kabul.

The Vice and Virtue ministry is known for its harsh interpretation and enforcement of Islamic law, or Sharia law, in Afghanistan. This includes strict dress codes for women, who are required to wear full-body coverings in public, such as a burqa or an abaya paired with a niqab. The ministry's religious police patrol the streets, enforcing these dress codes and other restrictions, such as bans on music and American-style haircuts.

The enforcement of the face-covering order falls under the Vice and Virtue ministry's mandate to implement Islamic law in Afghanistan. The ministry's religious police carry out patrols to enforce the face-covering requirement, boarding buses and other public places to ensure that women are complying with the dress code. Those who violate the rules are subject to punishment, including fines, prison time, or termination from government employment. The ministry has also threatened house-to-house searches for prohibited items, such as television sets.

The Vice and Virtue ministry's enforcement of the face-covering order has been met with resistance and criticism. Human rights groups, including the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan, have sharply criticized the decision, arguing that it will adversely affect women's rights and the country's chances of international recognition. Despite the Taliban's insistence that the ministry will not be the same as it was during their previous rule, many Afghans remain skeptical and fearful of the return of the morality police and the harsh enforcement of Islamic law.

The enforcement of the face-covering order by the Taliban's Vice and Virtue ministry has direct implications for Afghan women's use of makeup. While there is no explicit ban on makeup, the requirement to wear full-body coverings in public leaves little room for the display of makeup. The ministry's religious police enforce a strict interpretation of Islamic law, which values modesty and traditionalism for women. This includes not only dress codes but also restrictions on behaviour and movement, such as barring women from working and educating girls.

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