Taliban law Media show no living creatures in parts of Afghanistan
A Taliban law is now imposing a serious restriction on the media: in some Afghan provinces, images of living creatures are no longer being shown.
16.10.2024, 00:00
dpa
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- In some areas of Afghanistan, no living creatures are shown in the media.
- The Ministry of Vice and Virtue had issued new laws.
- It is not yet clear whether the rules affect all media, including foreign media, or only Afghan providers and websites.
In some Afghan provinces, the media controlled by the Taliban no longer show images of living beings, as stipulated by law. A spokesman for the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, Saif ul Islam Chyber, said on Tuesday that state media in the provinces of Tachar, Maidan Wardak and Kandahar had been advised not to broadcast or show images of beings with a soul - i.e. humans and animals.
In August, the ministry issued laws regulating aspects of daily life such as public transportation, shaving, media and celebrations, reflecting the authorities' interpretation of Islamic law. Article 17 prohibits the publication of images of living beings, which has raised concerns about the impact on the Afghan media and press freedom.
Chyber told the AP news agency a day earlier that the ministry was responsible for implementing the morality laws. He did not say whether the rules affect all media, including foreign media, or only Afghan outlets and websites. He also did not say how the laws are to be enforced or whether there is a deadline for this.
No other Muslim-majority country imposes similar restrictions, not even Iran or Saudi Arabia. During their previous rule in the late 1990s, the Taliban completely banned most TV and radio stations and newspapers.
