Embarrassing cover-up

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Embarrassing cover-up

Tuesday, 24 May 2022 | Pionner

Embarrassing cover-up

The Taliban have ordered all female TV news anchors to cover their faces while on air

The Taliban-led Islamic Emirate Government in Afghanistan has pronouncedly returned to its crooked ways, especially with regard to the country’s women. Actually, it’s always been biased against the fair gender, even when it was in power the last time in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. After they seized power again in August last year, the Taliban initially appeared to have moderated their restrictions somewhat, announcing no dress code for women. But in recent weeks, they have made a sharp, hardline pivot that has confirmed the worst fears of the rights activists and further complicated the Taliban’s dealings with an already distrustful international community. On March 23, 2022, the first day of the school year in Afghanistan, eager female students arriving for class found closed gates and armed Taliban guards posted there. Despite the de facto authorities’ assurances only days earlier that schools would reopen for girls above sixth grade, they had barred girls from further education. The Minister of Higher Education — part of an all-male Government — has stated publicly that Islam is more important than qualifications, so education is of no value to boys or girls.
Then earlier this month, the Taliban’s Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and the Propagation of Virtue ordered all women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public that leaves only their eyes visible. The decree said women should leave the home only when necessary and that male relatives would face punishment for women’s dress code violations. And now, as per a report last weekend, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have started to enforce a new order requiring all female TV news anchors in the country to cover their faces while on air. After the order was announced midweek, only a handful of news outlets initially complied. But on Sunday, most female anchors were seen with their faces covered after the Taliban’s Vice and Virtue Ministry began enforcing the decree. However, the presenters are obviously not happy with the diktat. They feel it’s the imposition of “just an outside culture” and there “aren’t feeling good at all” while presenting programmes. But all hope’s not lost. Not yet! In an act of solidarity with female colleagues, the channel’s male personnel covered their faces with masks, including the main evening newsreader. Way to go, you are fighting for a cause.

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