The latest: In another crackdown against media and women, the Taliban’s Information and Culture Department in Ghazni has warned all local media outlets not to broadcast commercial announcements recorded with women’s voices.
Go deeper:
- On Sunday, the Taliban officials warned all local media outlets that any violation of this order will result in serious consequences.
- In addition to the ban on women’s voices in commercial announcements, local media outlets in Ghazni have also been prohibited from making phone calls involving women during their programmes.
- This ban comes as all female employees of local media outlets in the province have been forced to stay home since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.
- The Taliban have previously severely restricted the presence and work of women on radio and television networks in the country.
Back story: Last month too a similar incident had happened in Badakhshan as officials of the department of promotion of virtue and prevention of vice of the Taliban in this province closed the Sada-e Banowan Radio Station, a women’s radio station, in Faizabad city.
- The Taliban while sealing the offices of the radio station stated that the broadcasts of this media outlet were not compliant with their policies. The policies set by the Taliban for radio Sada-e Banowan in Badakhshan have been to not play music; to not host live programs by women, and to not have female presenters speak in a soft voice.
Zoom out: Apart from this even in the field of sports there have been many restrictions as local sources in Bamiyan reported that Taliban officials, under the pretext of promoting virtue and preventing vice, closed a stadium in this province after insulting and belittling athletes.
- Sources said that officials of the Taliban’s virtue and vice department in Bamiyan on Sunday blocked the stadium after deeming the futsal players’ uniforms as inappropriate.
- Two eyewitnesses reported that the Bamiyan team played against a team from Kabul at a sports hall located in the Dasht-e Eisa Khan area in Bamiyan city on Sunday and during the game, the officials entered the hall.
- One of the witnesses, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the officials insulted and humiliated the athletes with “aggressiveness and profanity” about why they did not wear “Afghan and Sharia-compliant” clothing.
- According to the Taliban’s view, the uniforms worn by athletes during football, futsal, and other games are considered illegal and forbidden.
- Another witness said that after closing the stadium, the officials took the manager with them. So far, local Taliban officials in Bamiyan have not commented on the matter.
- The Taliban have previously insulted and belittled athletes in other provinces for not adhering to what they consider Afghan and Islamic customs.
