KABUL – Garments store owners in Afghanistan started to behead mannequins as the local office of the Taliban’s Ministry for Islamic guidance order removal of ‘un-Islamic’ idols.
A video from Afghanistan’s cultural capital went viral in which shop owners can be seen beheading the display mannequins, in line with new directives.
Reports claimed that a number of clothing shops removed the head in a bid to escape punishment announced by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention Vice.
Another step forward for the rights of women in Afghanistan thanks to US leaders who knew exactly what would happen to them under Taliban ‘s reign of terror. They worked tog w Pakistan to craft a massive lie for idiot journalists to repeat. Their legacy doesn’t have to be ours. pic.twitter.com/EdUPfGFGRc
— Lara Logan (@laralogan) January 4, 2022
The ministry initially ordered shopkeepers to remove the mannequins completely but some hit back and said it would cause significant financial loss.
As per the new directives, all the statues and mannequins in the stores must be headless. The development comes days after Afghan women faced restrictions for traveling without family members.
The new administration in the war-ravaged country reportedly has also increased monitoring of public taxis in the capital, Kabul, to see if drivers are abiding by the ministry’s instructions related to women’s right to travel.
Taliban’s move also garnered criticism saying while they claimed that these statues are anti-Islamic as these were being worshipped back in the day.
In November last year, the Taliban regime called on television channels to stop showing dramas and soap operas featuring women actors.
Taliban also called on women television journalists to wear “Islamic hijabs” while presenting their reports. Interim government officials also banned films or programmes that were against Islamic and Afghan values.
Despite insisting they will rule more moderately after ousting the Western-backed government, the Taliban have already introduced stern rules despite promising to uphold citizens’ freedom.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, speaking with Afghan state television defended the steps taken under the new setup saying they should not be a matter of concern for anyone because ‘Afghanistan is a Muslim nation and no one is opposed to Islamic laws in the country.’
