Afghanistan shopkeepers cover female mannequins’ faces under Taliban rules. Internet is furious

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021. And, if you like to keep yourself updated with the news, you might have heard about the plight of citizens, especially women.

In the country, after the takeover. From a ban on education to entry in gyms, public and amusement parks, women are going through a lot in Afghanistan. So much so that women there are not even allowed to go on long road trips without a male chaperone.

And now, in another shocking development, textile shops in Afghanistan have been ordered to cover the faces of mannequins. Horrifying pictures of the same have been doing the rounds of the internet. Shopkeepers have been forced to cover the faces of mannequins dressed in elaborate clothes with polythene bags, scarfs and even foil.

According to shopkeepers in the Afghan capital Kabul, covering the faces is better. Prior to this, it was decreed by the Taliban government to remove the mannequins or behead them altogether.

In the pictures, while the mannequins are dressed in opulent gowns and ethnic outfits replete with regal embroidery, their faces are covered with either matching scarves or polythene bags and foil if the shopkeepers want a cheaper option.

A post by an Afghan humanitarian named Sara Wahedi is also going viral on Twitter. The post featured disturbing images of the mannequins’ faces covered in foil or scarves.

“The Taliban’s hatred of women extends beyond the living. It is now mandatory for store owners to cover the faces of mannequins. These dystopian images are a sign of how much worse life is going to become for Afghan women if the world doesn’t stand with them,” reads the caption of the post.

The post went insanely viral online and the internet was absolutely disgusted and furious after looking at the pictures.

“Absolutely pathetic,” a user wrote.

Another user commented, “It reflects their weakness. Strong men never control others, instead they are believing in self-control.”

See the comments here:

“I made an opportunity out of this threat and ban and did it so the mannequins are even more attractive than before,” Hakim, a shopkeeper who used foil to cover the mannequin’s face, told AP.