Afghanistan: Taliban Bans Media From Publishing Images Of ‘All Living Beings’

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) stated that the law will be implemented gradually, with officials seeking to educate the public on why such images contradict their interpretation of Islamic law.

Saiful Islam Khyber, a spokesperson for the PVPV, said that "the law applies to all Afghanistan" and insisted that coercion would not be employed in its enforcement. "It's only advice, and convincing people these things are really contrary to sharia (law) and must be avoided," he told AFP.

The new legislation also outlines other media restrictions, including prohibitions against mocking Islam and publishing content that contradicts Islamic law. While certain aspects of this law have not yet been strictly enforced, Khyber said that efforts are underway to implement the rules in provinces such as Kandahar and Helmand, as well as in northern Takhar.

Despite the impending restrictions, Taliban officials continue to share images of people on social media, raising questions about the consistency of the enforcement of these rules. 

According to news agency AFP, local journalists in Kandahar did not report any immediate actions taken against them by the morality police. However, PVPV officials in central Ghazni province summoned local journalists and told them that morality police would gradually start the implementation of the new law. They also advised visual journalists to adjust their practices in anticipation of the new regulations.

The new law comes as part of the Taliban's broader efforts to formalize their stringent interpretations of Islamic law since regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021. Under the previous Taliban regime from 1996 to 2001, a similar ban was enforced, but this current edict has not yet seen widespread enforcement.

With the scope for media shrinking continuously, from approximately 8,400 media employees before the Taliban takeover to about 5,100 today—including just 560 women—Afghanistan has plummeted in press freedom rankings, falling from 122nd to 178th out of 180 countries according to Reporters Without Borders.