Taliban to force Afghan women to wear face veil

Afghan women will have to wear the Islamic face veil for the first time in decades under a decree passed by the country's ruling Taliban militants.

Afghan women will have to wear the Islamic face veil for the first time in decades under a decree passed by the country's ruling Taliban militants.

Any woman who refuses to comply and ignores official warnings to male members of her family could see a male guardian jailed for three days.

The Taliban enforced the all-encompassing burka during their first stint in power in the 1990s.

But they had not enforced it in Afghan cities since taking over last year.

Many women in Afghanistan already wear the burka but some, particularly in urban areas, just wear a simple covering over their hair.

The decree was passed by the Taliban's Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue.

Taliban officials described the decree as "advice" but laid out a specific set of escalating steps for anyone not complying:

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