The authorities installed by the Taliban in Afghanistan after seizing power in August 2021 have authorized the reopening of Internet cafes in the province of Herat (northwest), although they have stressed that neither women nor children under 15 years of age will be allowed to enter these businesses.
Local sources quoted by the Afghan daily ‘Hasht-e Subh’ have stressed that the provincial ‘Morality Police’ have told the owners of these places that »they can restart their business, but they must not allow girls and boys under 15 years of age to enter», while threatening to close them if they find women inside.
The Taliban, who have not officially pronounced themselves on this decision, ordered last week the closure of all Internet cafes in the province arguing that they served to »corrupt the youth», amid a battery of restrictive measures since they took over the capital, Kabul, in August 2021 after the flight from the country of the then president, Ashraf Ghani.
Likewise, the head of the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prohibition of Vice in Herat, Azizul Rahman Mohayer, has stated that the sale of foreign films and cassette tapes has been banned for »going against Islam», as reported by the Afghan television channel Tolo TV.
The Taliban authorities have faced criticism for their restrictions on civil liberties, including the closure of schools and the exclusion of female students from them, amid a raft of discriminatory measures against women that keep them away from their jobs and govern aspects of their daily lives.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
