The Taliban have ruled that photos of women on national identity cards will be optional, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from women’s rights activists who say it strips Afghan women of basic recognition and equality.

In a decree issued by the group’s Dar al-Ifta, the Taliban’s religious authority, officials said photos would be mandatory only for Afghan women living abroad or travelling overseas for medical care. For women inside Afghanistan, the body declared that attaching photos to ID cards was “contrary to Sharia.”

The decision overrides earlier plans by the Taliban-run National Statistics and Information Authority, which had sought to make photos compulsory to verify identity, prevent fraud, ease travel and comply with international standards. The agency had set out 11 justifications for photos, but religious scholars dismissed 10 of them as “un-Islamic.”

Dar al-Ifta said for legal matters it was sufficient to include a woman’s name along with the names of her father and grandfather, as well as her address. It argued that international travel already required passports and visas, making ID cards unnecessary for that purpose.

“Placing a photo without a Sharia need is not permitted, whether full-length or just the face,” the decree stated. Women, however, may still choose to include their photo voluntarily.

The ruling triggered strong criticism from rights groups. On social media, users urged the international community not to remain silent. Activists said the Taliban’s decision represents another rollback of women’s rights, four years after the group barred girls from secondary schools and universities.

Protesting women have demanded that identity documents be issued without gender-based restrictions or discrimination.