ISLAMABAD — In a recent move, an Afghan province has imposed a ban on all media outlets from displaying images of living beings in an effort to enforce the Taliban’s morality standards.
This decision was made public by officials from the Information Ministry in Helmand, marking another step in the crackdown on the broadcast and photography of both humans and animals.

Earlier in August, the Vice and Virtue Ministry of Afghanistan had released new guidelines that govern various aspects of daily life, including public transport, grooming practices, media representation, and social celebrations, all based on the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia law.
Notably, Article 17 of these guidelines prohibits the publication of images that feature any living entity.

Officials from Helmand stated that the filming and photographing of living beings would cease immediately, although no additional details regarding enforcement measures or possible exceptions were provided.
Just a week prior, media controlled by the Taliban had already begun to refrain from showing images of living entities in the provinces of Takhar, Maidan Wardak, and Kandahar as part of adhering to the newly established laws.
Reports indicate that some private media channels have similarly chosen to withhold pictures and videos of living beings to align with these regulations.

It is worth noting that no other predominantly Muslim nation applies such strict restrictions on media, including countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Historically, during the Taliban’s earlier rule in the late 1990s, they had banned nearly all forms of television, radio, and print media.
On the same day, the Information Ministry announced a ban on 400 books deemed incompatible with Islamic and Afghan principles.

These prohibited books have been confiscated from bookstores and publishing establishments, and these have been replaced with religious texts, including the Qur’an.
Khubaib Ghofran, a spokesman for the ministry, stated on X that any publications considered part of “nefarious plans by foes aiming to undermine the thoughts, beliefs, unity, and culture of the nation” will be collected by the Ministry of Information and Culture.