May 23, 2022
2 mins read

Afghan male newsreaders mask up in solidarity with women counterparts

At the same time as stopping women working in news from appearing without a burqa, they also banned TV shows, films and soaps where women appeared unveiled…reports Asian Lite News

Male newsreaders have been wearing masks on Afghan TV to protest a new Taliban ruling forcing women to cover their faces on air.

Earlier this month, Afghanistan’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a diktat for women to cover up fully in public, including their faces, ideally with the traditional burqa.

The feared Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice then ordered women television presenters to follow suit, Daily Mail reported.

Some refused to comply prompting a crackdown by officials.

But after dissidents were threatened with dismissal, male colleagues showed solidarity by also covering their faces, Daily Mail reported.

As well as dismissal, women who refused to comply were told that their husbands would also lose their jobs.

Presenters and journalists at Tolo News in Kabul who wore masks confirmed it was in solidarity with the female presenters.

Sonia Niazi, a presenter on local TV station Tolo News, appeared on her show wearing a full-face veil, but hit out at the move.

The crackdown is the latest move by the Taliban to enforce fundamentalist Islam, where all women in public must be completely covered with a full-face veil including a cloth at eye level.

It is a further restriction on a previous rule where they were forced to cover their hair in public.

At the same time as stopping women working in news from appearing without a burqa, they also banned TV shows, films and soaps where women appeared unveiled, Daily Mail reported

Mohammad Sadeq Akif Mohajir, spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry for the Advancement of Welfare and Vice Prevention, said they were unconcerned by the male protest and the main thing was that the women were fulfilling their obligations as specified by the ruling.

The Taliban also ordered the dismissal of women working in government if they did not comply with the new dress code.

Male employees are at risk of being suspended if their spouses or daughters do not comply.

ALSO READ: Taliban regime root cause of food scarcity in Afghanistan

Previous Story

‘Willing to use force to defend Taiwan’

Next Story

US launches Indo-Pacific trade bloc with 13 nations  

Latest from -Top News

Hamburg to go full desi mode

Themed “Positioning Partnerships”, this year’s ‘India Week Hamburg’ will spotlight the growing synergy between India and Germany across key sectors including business, culture, society, and knowledge. The German port city of Hamburg

Ax-4 liftoff delayed for safety

The Ax-4 mission is the fourth private astronaut flight to the ISS and the first to include crew members from India, Poland, and Hungary—making it a moment of historic significance for all

Skilled Indian hands for Japan

India’s first batch of trained nursing care workers is set to begin jobs in Japan next month, addressing critical labour shortages amid Japan’s rapidly ageing population. The initiative is designed to tackle

Trump accepts invite to next QUAD meet

The upcoming Quad Summit in New Delhi is expected to further consolidate this alignment, with a focus on regional security, economic resilience, and joint efforts to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific…reports Asian

CSIS confirms Khalistani extremism on Canadian soil 

For years, India has raised concerns about Khalistani extremists operating from Canadian soil, but these concerns were largely ignored by Canada…reports Asian Lite News Canada’s premier intelligence agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Russia calls on Afghan rebels to drop arms

Atta Mohammad Noor, an ethnic Tajik and a former governor

Taliban believe in ‘free media’, deny reports of interference

The deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Inamullah Samangani, has