The Taliban have been tearing up pictures of women from posters

Taliban officials in Afghanistan have begun removing images of women from billboards and shop windows in Kabul. Kabul city councils announced Monday that ads that violate Islamic law and Sharia rules will be removed. According to the announcement, business owners must adhere to “ethical values” when printing posters and other advertising.

The posts, posted on the Taliban’s Twitter page, have been painted or erased since Monday, including posters and billboards and beauty salon showrooms.

City spokeswoman Nematullah Barakzai told the German news agency DPA that they were forced to do so following the Taliban government’s decision.

The Taliban have significantly reduced the rights of women since they came to power in August. In many cases, for example, women are unable to return to their previous occupations or courses. And was fiercely opposed by street extremists.

But not only women but also journalists are suffering under the Taliban regime. The Reporters Without Borders and the Independent Journalists Association of Afghanistan (Ajia) on Monday forced 43 percent of South Asian press outlets to close since August, while 60 percent of Afghan journalists are out of work. In this regard, the situation of female media workers is worrisome, with 84 percent losing their jobs. In 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, women no longer work for newspapers.

Of the 543 newspaper outlets registered in mid-August, 312 remained at the end of November, according to Reporters Without Borders.

“Four months ago, most provinces in Afghanistan had at least ten privately owned press outlets,” the organization said, adding that some regions were now without local newspapers. In Kabul, before the Taliban came to power, most newspapers and television channels were operational, with 51 percent of the media companies or 72 of the 148 closed.

(MTI)