Afghanistan's Taliban leadership has set new laws prohibiting women from acting in television shows. Female journalists and presenters are likewise required to wear headscarves when on camera, albeit the standards do not specify which sort of covering should be worn.
Some of the guidelines, according to reporters, are ambiguous and open to interpretation. In mid-August, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, and many believe that they are progressively imposing draconian restrictions.
Following the departure of US and coalition forces, the militant Islamist organization gained control and ordered girls and young women to remain home from school. Women were excluded from education and the employment during their prior rule in the 1990s, as per BBC.
Taliban unveils new rules, including banning women in TV dramas
Eight new Taliban restrictions have been handed to Afghan television networks in the most recent batch of Taliban directives. They include the prohibition of films that are regarded to be against Sharia - or Islamic - law and Afghan values, as well as video of males showing personal body parts.
Comedy and entertainment events that are disrespectful to Afghans or insult their faith are also prohibited. Foreign films that promote foreign cultural values should not be shown, according to the Taliban.
Afghan television stations primarily broadcast international dramas with women characters. Hujjatullah Mujaddedi, a member of an organization that represents Afghan journalists, said the news of additional limitations was unexpected.
The limits are part of a new eight-point set of recommendations released by the Taliban Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, or moral police, and are the latest indication that the hardline organization is curtailing women's rights.
Furthermore, the standards stated that female actresses should not appear in films or dramas. The new regulation prohibits television stations from airing males who are indecently exposed or not fully clothed from the chest to the legs.
The ministry justified the order, saying it was issued to prevent the spread of "immorality" and the airing of programs that "go against Sharia and Afghan values." It requested representatives of Kabul-based television networks to follow the standards during broadcast hours.
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Taliban appeals to release Afghanistan's assets
Per NDTV, acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on the US to free Afghanistan's central bank assets immediately, citing the humanitarian crisis in the country. These comments were made during an interview in which Muttaqi stated that the US was no longer at war with Afghanistan and that the freeze of Afghan assets lacked "logical" explanation.
Some experts believe that the ownership of Afghan assets has an impact on the Afghan people, who are facing significant economic difficulties. Muttaqi had previously written to the US Congress, pressing lawmakers to release Afghan assets, noting Afghanistan's severe economic and humanitarian problems.
The US special representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, responded to the letter by saying that the "Taliban's letter" misrepresented the realities of the country's economic and humanitarian crisis.
Since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated, and the security situation has devolved as well. The UN World Food Program (WFP) has warned that millions of Afghans would suffer famine this winter unless urgent action is done.
In response to the letter, Thomas West, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan, stated the Taliban administration "misconstrued" facts about the country's humanitarian crisis. West emphasized in a series of tweets that the US has warned the Taliban for years that if they pursue a military takeover rather than a negotiated settlement with fellow Afghans, crucial non-humanitarian help offered by the international community will all but disappear.
According to him, the militants must gain legitimacy and support by addressing terrorism, establishing an inclusive government, and respecting the rights of minorities, women, and girls. West went on to say that the US will continue to offer humanitarian relief to the Afghan people, noting that the US had already donated $474 million this year, as per Republic World.
Related Article: Afghanistan Faces Worst Famine as Winter Approaches; Emaciated Afghan Children in Kabul Hospital Point to Increasing Hunger
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