Date: 16/6/1444 (Georgian: 25/6/2023)

To the esteemed director of Malali Hospital!
Subject: Observance of Islamic Hijab
Enclosed with this letter is a copy issued by the General Directorate of Medical Treatment, reference number 361597, dated 11/6/1444 (Georgian: 20/6/2023), and a copy issued by the Directorate of Invitation and Guidance, reference number 570971, dated 9/6/1444 (Georgian: 18/6/2023). A sample of the hijab has been sent to you for your consideration to implement the instructions.

Respectfully,

Dr. Wahdat Al-Koozi
Acting Director of Specialized Hospitals and Third-Level Hospitals

This directive formalizes the imposition of a specific hijab requirement in healthcare settings, using state authority to regulate the appearance of (presumably female) medical personnel. While framed as an administrative matter, the inclusion of a physical sample of the "correct" hijab highlights the Taliban’s deepening efforts to control women's bodies even in professional environments. Mohammad Qasim Haqqani, the head of the Propagation and Guidance Department of the Taliban's Ministry of Health, has formally requested the General Directorate of Medical Treatment of this ministry to ensure that all women working in hospitals cover their faces and observe full hijab.

The Taliban stated in this letter that for a long time, women have not been observing "hijab." The letter states, "Based on our investigations, female health workers have not observed hijab for a long time, and therefore, the Propagation and Guidance Department of the Ministry of Health directs all female health workers in directorates, districts, and managements to fully observe their masks and hijab." In this official letter, the Taliban distributed images of two women who are fully covered from head to toe, wearing masks with only their eyes visible, and stated that all women in hospitals should have this type of hijab. This official letter has been sent to the following 19 hospitals under the General Directorate of the Taliban's Ministry of Health.