Afghan government employees are required to attend mosque five times daily or face penalties, according to a directive issued by Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada on Thursday. Since the Taliban's takeover in 2021, Akhundzada has imposed extensive societal restrictions, including barring many women and girls from education, mandating male escorts for females, and effectively banning music.
The order, signed by Akhundzada, states that "ministry and institution officials of the Taliban government must adhere to Sharia by praying in congregation at their designated times." It further stipulates that employees who miss prayers without a valid excuse should be warned, and if they continue to do so, "the appropriate official is required to administer suitable punishment."
In Islam, Muslims are expected to pray five times a day, either privately or at a mosque. The specifics of how this new requirement for employees to attend prayers during non-work hours will be enforced remain unclear. Akhundzada governs from his hideout in southern Kandahar, the ideological center of the Taliban, which initially ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. He seldom makes public appearances, and when he does, his bodyguards prevent onlookers from taking photographs or videos.
His sporadic decrees now dictate how Afghans live their lives. A recent United Nations report noted that "restrictive measures to control individual activities in both public and private realms contribute to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among parts of the population."
