The Taliban says mannequins used by shop owners to display clothing are sinful “idols” and must be beheaded before being put up to attract customers.
The order was issued to shop owners in the western province of Herat in Afghanistan and published this week by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Herat, the body responsible for overseeing the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islam.
Islam frowns on worshipping idols, as Allah is considered the only God.
The ministry initially banned the use of mannequins totally but mellowed down after shop owners protested that it would cause them significant financial loss.
“All the statues and mannequins in your stores must be headless,” Sheikh Aziz-u-Rahman, the head of the ministry, said in a note to the shop owners.
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However, shop owners are equally complaining about the new order.
One of them, Abdul Wadood Faiz Zada, told Italian newspaper Repubblica: “Each mannequin costs $100, or $80 or $70, and beheading them will be a huge financial loss.”
Another shop owner, Mohammad Yusuf, said, “The Taliban have not changed, there will be restrictions once again.
“They have not gained international recognition, but should they obtain it, they would bring back even stricter limitations.”
Women’s rights have suffered significant restrictions since the Taliban took over power in Afghanistan a few months ago.
Women are being subjected to frightening penalties for showing too much flesh, demanding basic human rights, having affairs, and being rape victims.
The Taliban also introduced rules forbidding girls from going to school.