The Taliban ruling Afghanistan have announced the gradual implementation of a law banning any depiction of living beings in the news media. “The law applies to all of Afghanistan (…) and will be implemented gradually,” spokesman for the Islamist Taliban’s “Ministry of Virtue,” Saiful Islam Chyber, said on Monday. He stressed that the depiction of living beings is against Islamic law.
The Taliban government had already passed a “virtue law” in the summer that corresponds to its idea of Islamic law. In addition to the ban on depicting living beings, the media is ordered not to publish anything that “violates Sharia (Islamic law, note) or religion” or “offends Muslims.” However, the law has not yet been implemented.
Members of the Taliban authorities also repeatedly published photos of people in online media. The depiction of living beings in Afghan media was already banned during the first Taliban regime from 1996 to 2001.
Women’s voices should not be heard
The ‘virtues law’, which was introduced in August, has been criticized internationally, mainly for its discrimination against women. Among other things, it prohibits women from speaking in public. Specifically, it states: “If an adult woman has to leave her home for an urgent reason, she is obliged to cover her face and body and ensure that her voice is not heard.” Sharia therefore refers to the private parts of men and women that must be covered.
The law also provides for veil regulations for women and a ban on homosexuality. Men must also wear trousers that reach at least the knee and have a beard that should not be too short. The ‘virtue law’ further expands the power of the moral police to monitor the rules of conduct issued by the Taliban and based on Islamic Sharia law.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
