The Taliban-controlled Radio Television of Afghanistan (RTA) has published a blurred photo of a high-ranking female United Nations official, seemingly complying with the Islamist diktat to avoid displaying images of women in the media.
The state-run broadcaster altered the image by blurring the face of Roza Otunbayeva, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Representative for Afghanistan.
The picture was taken during her meeting with the Taliban’s Minister of Agriculture on Monday and published on the X (formerly Twitter) handle of the RTA English.
The broadcaster wrote that Otunbayeva and the head of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Richard Tranchard, met with the acting Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, Mawlawi Ataullah Omari, to discuss efforts in preventing the cultivation, use, and trafficking of narcotics.
“They praised the efforts of the Islamic Emirate and mentioned that certain countries are prepared to support Afghans in exploring alternative methods of poppy cultivation,” the broadcaster said.
The Taliban had earlier directed female media workers to cover their faces during their screen presentations.
However, this marks the first instance of the Taliban-run media altering an image of a UN official.
The Taliban deem the display of female pictures without a face cover incompatible with Islamic Sharia.
The Islamist group had previously enforced restrictions on female media workers, including gender segregation, prohibiting women from interviewing men, mandating female media workers to cover their faces on screen, and barring females from participating in movies and dramas.
The Taliban had also prohibited the broadcast of women’s voices on media channels in Helmand, a province in southwest Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghan women’s rights have faced severe limitations through a series of restrictive measures.
These include gender segregation in public spaces, mandatory burqa wearing, and the necessity for women to be accompanied by a male relative during long-distance journeys.
The Taliban extended their restrictions by banning women from studying in universities and working in non-governmental organizations.
The decree followed the long-standing prohibition on girls’ secondary education imposed since the resurgence of the Islamists.
Further limitations imposed by the government include the ban on women from operating or visiting beauty salons and recreational parks, participating in sports, and engaging in the entertainment industry.
The Taliban has been reintroducing the oppressive norms of their previous regime (1996–2001), rooted in a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
These norms systematically strip women of various fundamental rights, such as access to education, work, and participation in public life
By Mian Saeed Ahmed khan
