Clothing shops in some parts of Afghanistan have begun ‘beheading mannequins’ as the result of a directive from the local office of the Taliban’s Ministry for Islamic guidance.
This is Herat where the Taliban authorities have asked clothing shops to behead all “female mannequins” calling them “un-Islamic”. Herat was called “the pearl of Khurasan” by Rumi and has been considered the cultural capital of #Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/CUBA6fSE74
— Zia Shahreyar l ضیا شهریار (@ziashahreyar) January 3, 2022
In Afghanistan’s western Herat province, the removal of the mannequin heads has gone viral as video footage surfaced. Some express that it is the female mannequins that have been targeted.
According to a local business community leader, about 20% of the shops in the province’s capital (also named Herat) have already implemented the order to “escape punishment” as per VOA.
The decree was made last week by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention Vice which is responsible for administering the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam.
It claimed that the shop mannequins with heads are offensive to Islam, and warned that those who violated their orders would be punished.
This is because they are seen as ‘idols’ or the worshipping of ‘idols’.
Further, the ministry allegedly also banned Afghan women from driving. Other infringements on women’s freedoms range from television dramas and soap operas featuring actresses to stop being displayed, and the directive for female news anchors to wear hijabs whilst on air. Girls wishing to attend school in many provinces are still awaiting ‘permission to do so’ while other women have been prevented from returning to work as per Al Jazeera.
The Taliban regained power in August where their all-male interim Cabinet now has the ‘green light’ to govern the conflict-torn country, largely led by the group’s ultraconservative interpretation of Islam.
The international community has largely left the Taliban government unrecognised as a form of governance, and suspension of most non-humanitarian aid has been haltered largely.
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