On Thursday, the Taliban announced the prohibition of women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan, citing their provision of services deemed forbidden by Islam and their perceived negative impact on grooms’ families’ finances during weddings.
This announcement came shortly after the group confirmed their decision to enforce the closure of all salons across the country within a month.
This ruling represents yet another restriction on the rights and liberties of Afghan women and girls, adding to previous decrees that prevented them from accessing education, public spaces, and most employment opportunities.
In a recently released video, Sadiq Akif Mahjer, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Virtue and Vice Ministry, outlined a list of salon services that he claimed violated Islamic principles. These services included shaping eyebrows, utilizing other individuals’ hair to enhance a woman’s natural hair, and applying makeup, which would disrupt the required ablutions before prayers.
