KABUL: Afghanistan’s supreme leader and Taliban chief on Saturday ordered the country’s women to wear the all-covering burqa in public. “They should wear a chador (head-to-toe burqa) as it is traditional and respectful,” said a decree issued by Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada that was released by Taliban authorities at a function in Kabul. “Those women who are not too old or young must cover their face, except the eyes, as per sharia directives, to avoid provocation when meeting men who are not mahram (adult close male relatives),” the decree said. It added that if women had no important work outside it was “better they stay at home.” In the decree, various warnings and punishments have also been announced in case of non-compliance. Most women in Afghanistan wear a headscarf, but many in urban areas such as Kabul do not cover their faces.
