The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has declared that all laws issued by the regime are fully in line with Sharia and that any objection to them will be treated as opposition to Sharia and prosecuted. The statement comes as the group’s new criminal procedure code and broader legal system face growing criticism over women’s exclusion, lack of due process and harsh punishments.
Sharia is being invoked, but scholars are rejecting the interpretation
Across the Muslim world, many scholars have openly said that the Taliban’s legal practices do not reflect the Quran and Sunnah.
In Pakistan, the Pakistan Ulema Council and other respected scholars have clearly stated that the punishments and policies being enforced in Afghanistan have no basis in authentic Islamic teachings and go against Islam’s principles of justice, mercy and human dignity.
Islamic tradition has never been based on one rigid voice. For centuries, Sharia developed through debate, scholarship and multiple schools of thought. Disagreement among scholars was normal and rulers were not treated as the final religious authority.
By declaring that their own laws are beyond criticism and that questioning them is equal to opposing Islam, the Taliban are not defending Sharia. They are placing their political authority above religious debate.
Criminalizing criticism turns courts into tools of control
The Taliban’s criminal procedure code has already been widely criticized by legal experts and religious scholars for being coercive, vague and inconsistent with both basic justice and Islamic legal tradition. Instead of responding to these concerns, the regime has chosen a different path.
When criticism of laws is treated as a crime, courts stop being places where people can seek justice. They become places where obedience is enforced.
This is especially dangerous in a system where laws are already unclear and punishments are severe. If no one is allowed to question the law, then no one is protected from its misuse.
Islamic history shows that justice requires accountability, consultation and the ability to correct mistakes. Silencing criticism does the opposite. It closes the door to reform and turns the legal system into an instrument of fear.
Women and society pay the highest price
Women are the most visible victims of the Taliban’s legal system. Over the past few years, women have been pushed out of education, work and public life. Their movement has been restricted, their voices silenced and their access to justice nearly removed.
By declaring these policies unchangeable and beyond debate, the Taliban are locking discrimination into law and removing any peaceful way to argue for change.
But the harm goes far beyond women. This approach deepens social divisions, increases frustration, and pushes Afghanistan further away from the Muslim world and the international community.
True Islamic governance is built on justice, compassion, and consultation. Many scholars continue to remind that using religion to silence criticism weakens both law and faith.
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