Weeks after the Taliban ordered all women across Afghanistan to fully cover their faces while in public, its "Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" has extended its orders to female TV anchors, who received instructions last Saturday.
Ever since, few female TV presenters appeared while covering half of their faces while presenting news, a move they made to avoid persecution by the country's new rulers.
#Demonstration
— Wahid Haidari (@wahidhaidari95) May 22, 2022
Our colleagues, #Male_anchors of @TOLOnews and @1TVNewsAF in protest against the Taliban's decision to make the hijab mandatory on female anchors, wore face mask and did hijab in their news and political shows.#Heros proud of you. pic.twitter.com/dhNushYPSK
Despite orders defying the Taliban's earlier affirmations of not imposing laws that would restrict women's rights in the country they recaptured in August 2021, 20 years after being ousted by the US and NATO allies, the extremist movement was reportedly to have made a series of announcements limiting the rights granted to women, such as banning them from work, closing down female schools, and now the face cover mandate on TV.
One of the gains of the past twenty years was Afghanistan's vibrant and free press. Today, this is what the Taliban say freedom looks like. Female television presenter forced to cover their faces. pic.twitter.com/3UBLvukTjp
— Yalda Hakim (@BBCYaldaHakim) May 22, 2022
In response to this demand, male news editors and TV anchors on Afghanistan's leading TV network TOLONews appeared live wearing face masks, sending a message of solidarity with their female colleagues.
News-editor of @TOLOnews: We are in a deep grief today.
— Ali Hussaini (@AliHussainiBBC) May 22, 2022
As frm today all of his female colleagues must 2 cover their faces 2 implement d Taliban’s Hijab rule. Choosing d black face mask(not the blue one) is unintentionally? pic.twitter.com/HiCqW0HVh1
The internet has hailed the brave Afghan TV presenters, shared their photos widely and expressed respect for their acts, challenging the orders made by the Taliban.
