SOCIETY — June 12, 2026
Imams in Mazar-e-Sharif Say Covering Women's Faces Is Mandatory Even Before Non-Mahram Dead
Imams in Mazar-e-Sharif mosques preached that women must cover their faces even before non-mahram deceased, following stricter Taliban hijab enforcement.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Hasht-e Subh — 2 min read
Mullah imams in various mosques in Mazar-e-Sharif emphasized in their Friday sermons that women must cover their faces even in front of non-mahram deceased individuals or when visiting graves of close male relatives. They cited religious hadiths and Salaf scholars in their statements.
The imams narrated hadiths that stress the importance of women's full covering. They noted that Salaf scholars have prohibited the uncovering of faces even at the graves of non-mahram men or when visiting the graves of relatives without wearing full hijab.
This comes as the Taliban Ministry of Virtue Promotion and Vice Prevention has begun stricter enforcement against women not wearing complete hijab. Reports indicate that arrests have taken place in Herat as part of these measures.
Women in Afghanistan have encountered severe restrictions in education, employment, and social spheres since the Taliban returned to power.
Read the original reporting at Hasht-e Subh →
Reliability assessment
Single source relying entirely on unnamed 'sources' with no on-record attribution from named imams, officials, or direct evidence; core event of coordinated sermons remains unconfirmed by independent outlets
The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Hasht-e Subh: "severe restrictions", "stricter measures against women" — these phrases frame the policies with negative emotional loading and imply oppression without neutral presentation.
Independent web corroboration
An independent web search turned up no separate corroborating reports. Treat the account as single-sourced until more outlets pick it up.
Across the newsrooms
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Hasht-e Subh
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Framed
Framed
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Society — Taliban, Mazar-e-Sharif, hijab, Ministry of Virtue Promotion and Vice Prevention, Balkh
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