Saif Khyber, spokesperson for the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice under the interim government, stated that this ministry will gradually enforce a law banning the publication of images of living beings across all media.
Mr. Khyber mentioned that efforts to prohibit the broadcasting of images of living beings in the media have already begun in some provinces.
He emphasized that the law banning the publication of images of living beings will be implemented “gradually” throughout Afghanistan, and officials of the interim government are currently working to convince people that broadcasting images of living beings in the media is a “violation of Islamic laws.”
He made these remarks in an interview with Agence France-Presse, also stating that there is no place for “coercion” in enforcing the laws of this group; it is merely a recommendation and an effort to persuade people that this practice is indeed against Sharia and should be avoided.
Agence France-Presse reported: “The new law of the current government, in addition to prohibiting the broadcasting of images of living beings, will impose other regulations on the media, including a ban on broadcasts ‘contrary to Islamic laws’ and content that contains ‘insult and humiliation to Islam.'”
According to this report, the law will also advise citizens not to take pictures of living beings on their personal phones or look at such images.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated that efforts to implement the law prohibiting the broadcasting of images of living beings in the media have begun in several provinces, but not all.
He mentioned that the enforcement of this law has started in Kandahar, Helmand, and Takhar provinces.
Agence France-Presse noted that on Sunday, officials from the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Ghazni summoned local journalists and informed them that the law prohibiting the publication of images of living beings will be gradually enforced.
Additionally, local sources in Takhar reported yesterday that local officials issued a complete ban on photography and visual reporting during a meeting with journalists and local media officials. They emphasized that visual media should be converted into radio.
The current government has imposed extensive restrictions on media over the past three years.
