Pilot project in Taliban: in some provinces of Afghanistan, TV bans people and animals
18 October 2024 10:11
Taliban media in some Afghan provinces have stopped showing images of living beings to comply with new moral laws. This was reported by AP, citing a local government official, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
In August, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Virtue Promotion and Prevention published new laws governing everyday life, including public transport, media and celebrations, and even shaving, reflecting their interpretation of Islamic law (Sharia).
One of the provisions of the laws prohibits the publication of images of living beings.
To begin with, it was decided to introduce the provision in some provinces. Saif ul Islam Khyber, a representative of the ministry, said that in the provinces of Takhar, Maidan Wardak and Kandahar, state media were advised not to show images of any creatures with a soul, whether human or animal.
Khyber noted that the ministry is responsible for implementing moral laws, but did not specify whether these rules apply to all media, including foreign ones, or only to Afghan channels and websites.
According to Hojatullah Mujaddidi, director of the Independent Journalists’ Union of Afghanistan, state-owned media were first ordered to stop showing images of living creatures, and later the rule was extended to all media in these provinces. Local media have already started broadcasting nature videos instead of images of people or animals.
Similar restrictions do not apply in other Muslim countries, such as Iran or Saudi Arabia.
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According to most scientific classifications, animals are multicellular creatures whose cells have nuclei, are heterotrophic (consume organic matter) and are capable of random movement. That is, these are not only terrestrial vertebrates, but also fish, mollusks, insects, worms, starfish, etc. According to Islamic beliefs, all these creatures have a soul.
This means that the Taliban’s ban applies to all animals, even the smallest ones. Thus, TV channels can only show natural landscapes without detail and without animals in the picture, the sky and stars, and man-made objects.
The Taliban and its ideology
The Taliban political movement, which exists mainly in Afghanistan and has been in power there since 2021, professes an ideology that combines elements of Pashtun nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism, in particular Deobandi. This movement emerged in the mid-1990s, largely as a response to the disorder that prevailed in Afghanistan after the Soviet occupation. Its ideological basis is largely based on strict adherence to Sharia law, which is enforced through the regulation of public and private life, especially with regard to women’s rights, freedom of speech and cultural heritage. The Taliban believes that its mission is to restore a law-abiding Islamic state.
One of the key elements of the Taliban’s ideology is a strict interpretation of Sharia law. During their rule from 1996 to 2001, and since seizing power in 2021, they have imposed severe restrictions, banning women from studying and working, and limiting cultural activities such as music, photography and film. These measures were previously accompanied by severe repression, including public punishment for those who violated their laws. Since 2021, there have been fewer such reports.
While maintaining close ties to traditional tribal values, the Taliban also draws on the Pashtunwali code, which includes notions of honour, hospitality and revenge. Despite its harsh approach, the Taliban tries to maintain control through a system of tribal councils (jirgas) and local customs, especially in rural areas. In the West, the movement is criticised for massacres of ethnic minorities, religious persecution, human rights violations, etc.
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