On Monday, the Taliban dismissed concerns and criticism surrounding new vice and virtue laws that prohibit women in Afghanistan from revealing their faces and speaking in public places.

Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN mission in the country, UNAMA, stated on Sunday that these laws present a “distressing vision” for Afghanistan. She expressed that the laws further restrict the “already intolerable limitations” placed on the rights of women and girls, with even the “sound of a female voice” outside the home deemed a moral violation.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson for the Taliban government, issued a statement cautioning against “arrogance” from those unfamiliar with Islamic Sharia law, especially non-Muslims who may express reservations or objections.

“We urge a thorough understanding of these laws and a respectful acknowledgment of Islamic values. To reject these laws without such understanding is, in our view, an expression of arrogance,” he stated.

Afghanistan’s government released the country’s first set of laws aimed at preventing vice and promoting virtue last Wednesday.

These laws mandate that women conceal their face, body, and voice outside the home. They also prohibit images of living beings, such as photographs.

“After decades of war and amidst a terrible humanitarian crisis, the Afghan people deserve much better than being threatened or jailed if they happen to be late for prayers, glance at a member of the opposite sex who is not a family member, or possess a photo of a loved one,” Otunbayeva stated.

In response to the UNAMA statement, Mujahid added, “We must stress that the concerns raised by various parties will not sway the Islamic Emirate from its commitment to upholding and enforcing Islamic Sharia law.”