Afghanistan: Women ‘must cover up properly…even wear a blanket’

A hadith depicts Muhammad saying to a woman, “‘O Asma’, when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this,’ and he pointed to her face and hands.” (Sunan Abu Dawud 4092)

The covering of the face proceeds from the same assumption: that it is the woman’s responsibility to remove temptation from men. Consequently, if the face is tempting, it must be covered as well.

“Women workers must cover up ‘even with a blanket’, say Afghan Taliban,” AFP, February 22, 2022:

Kabul (AFP) – Women working in Afghan government departments must cover up — even with a blanket if necessary — or they may lose their jobs, the Taliban’s religious police said Tuesday.

Most women have been barred from their government jobs, since the Taliban retook power in August, though Afghanistan’s new rulers claim they will be allowed to return once some conditions are in place — such as segregated offices.

On Tuesday, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued a statement saying women should not go to work unless they were properly covered, and they could be fired if they did not follow guidelines….

“They can follow the hijab the way they want,” ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadeq Akif Muhajir told AFP when reached for clarification….

They can wear “any other sort of hijab, it is up to them, but they must (cover up) properly… even wear a blanket”, he said….