The Taliban Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has banned displaying the heads of female mannequins in shops, claiming that it goes against Sharia law.

Despite the promises and guarantees that the Taliban offered the Afghan population, particularly women and minorities, the facts since they came to power on August 15 show that this was nothing more than false advertising.

A new edict from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has banned displaying the heads of female mannequins in shops, meaning that shopowners must remove them.

This is the Talibans’ latest step in their attempt to remove women from all public and social life. There have recently been protests led by women in the capital, Kabul. The protesters wanted to reclaim their role in society and express their rejection of the new measures implemented by the Taliban regime.

The Taliban decided to open fire against the protesters.

Despite their initial promises, the fundamentalists have been gradually taking more and more rights away from women. Firstly, they decided to replace the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

Then, images of women on advertising posters began to disappear, and, bit by bit, women have been losing the rights they fought so hard to obtain. The list of prohibitions for women increases by the day. In addition to the ban on female mannequin heads, a new rule says that taxi drivers are not allowed to transport women travelling more than 70 km unless they are accompanied by a close male relative.

In the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, where citizens’ public and private spaces are closely regulated, the Taliban government recently ordered television channels to stop broadcasting programmes with women.

Despite multiple international sanctions, the Taliban regime continues to force its interpretation of sharia law on its citizens.