Afghan TV Channels Ban Broadcasting Visuals of Living Creatures In Compliance With Nation’s ‘Islamic Laws’

In a northern Afghan province, at least two television channels have ceased broadcasting images of living beings, following directives from the country’s morality police. Journalists revealed the change on Tuesday, marking another step in the tightening of media regulations under the current Afghan regime, as reported by AFP. 
The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) announced on Monday that it had begun enforcing a law prohibiting news outlets from displaying images or videos of living beings, including humans and animals. 
The PVPV instructed all regional television media in Takhar that they may continue radio broadcasts but must avoid using visuals of living beings or face legal consequences, according to a reporter who spoke to AFP.
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These regulations are part of the recently introduced legislation by Afghanistan’s Taliban government, which solidifies their stringent interpretation of Islamic law, implemented since they took control in 2021.
Afghan Law Banning Living Images To Be Gradually Enforced
“The law applies to all Afghanistan and it will be implemented gradually,” Saiful Islam Khyber, the spokesman for the PVPV, said. He added that officials would work to persuade people that images of living things are against Islamic law. “Coercion has no place in the implementation of the law,” he said, reported by the Telegraph.
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Previously, Taliban officials in Kandahar were prohibited from taking photos and videos of living beings, but this rule did not apply to news media. However, with the recent law, the restriction now extends to all, including media outlets, according to the Telegraph.
The new law includes articles outlining broad regulations on behaviour and lifestyle, many of which have not yet been fully enforced. It also states that media outlets are prohibited from ridiculing Islam or going against Islamic law.