Probably The Most Efficient Embassy in the World

Well I had an email from the Embassy of Afghanistan today to tell me my visa was ready for collection.! I only posted it on Monday! I guess they probably don't have a backlog.

So today I want to share with you the texts of a decree by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which was issued on December 17 th 1996 at the order of Taliban leader, Mullah Omah. I will shorten the text but you'll get the idea - there are 16 items;

Temptation - This is why women are forced to cover up and when out in public they must always be accompanied by a close male relative.

Music - Forbidden in shops, hotels and automobiles.

Shaving a beard was forbidden - if you didn't you were put in prison until it grew to the required length.

Daily Prayers - Had to be said in mosques. Shops had to close 15 minutes before and everyone had to pray 5 times a day. Shopkeepers who stayed open went to jail for ten days or worse.

Training pigeons and playing with birds was forgiven.

Drug trafficking was forbidden, along with the use of drugs.

Gambling was forbidden.

Kite flyong was forgiven (For anyone who hasn't seen the movie A Kite Runner - it gives what most Afghans consider to be a very honest view of the Taliban.

No image of a person could be displayed in shops, hotels or taxis as this was a form of idolatry. This was their excuse for destroying the Bamyan Buddhas.

Letting ones hair grow out in American or British fashion was forbidden.

Taking interest on loans was forbidden.

Women were not to wash clothes on the banks of rivers.

Music and dancing at wedding ceremonies was forbidden.

Drum music was forbidden,

Men were forbidden to tailor women's clothing or take their measurements.

Practicing astrology was forbidden.

There were two stories giving examples of this which if not so tragic they would be hilarious that I have to share:

The first is about Titanic - yes as in a sinking ship with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet - my heart will go on so long as I don't live in Afghanistan.
Apparently there were so many bootlag copies of the movie in Afghanistan that it caused many young urban Afghanis to lionize Leonardo. These young men had their hair cut 'Leonardo style'. 28 barbers in Kabul were arrested and put in jail - the young men were harassed and beaten by the Taliban. It became so serious that they called for the killing of Leonardo and Kate because they celebrated love out of wedlock. I wonder what they would make of Sex and the City!

The second story was about a women who witnessed a group of young women clad in black burqua being beaten bloody by the Taliaban in the street. When she later made enquiries about what they had done wrong she was told "They were beaten because they were wearing white socks........That is the colour of the Taliban flag, and women do not have the right to wear white. It means defiling the flag."

As I said yesterday these people deserve our support.
Night

Maureen the Intrepid