Taliban Remove Logo and Symbol of Western-Backed Afghan Government

Kabul, MINA – Taliban have removed all symbols and logos from the legacy of the previous Western-backed Afghan government. Taliban removed murals of national heroes and took down the Afghan flag.

Taliban also destroyed a memorial to honor those killed in past Taliban attacks. Meanwhile, the wall that was hit by the blast was covered with the slogan Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

“With God’s help, our nation defeated America,” said one of the slogans written by the Taliban, reported by Alarabiya on Wednesday.

Most beauty salon owners in Kabul have removed posters of women with full makeup and fashionable hairstyles, which are usually displayed at entrances. Meanwhile, the iconic photo of the anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud which is displayed in almost every neighborhood of the city has been covered up.

On a hilltop overlooking Kabul, the Afghan national flag of the previous regime has been lowered. Most of the flagpoles currently stand without raising their flags in the middle of the snowy garden. In addition, Taliban added checkpoints and at night no vehicles were passing.

Since coming to power in mid-August last year, Taliban have imposed restrictions that mostly target women and girls. Taliban forbids women from returning to work other than in health and education.

In addition, the Taliban forbade high school girls from returning to class. This is reminiscent of the tough policies implemented by the Taliban when they came to power in the 1990s. At that time, the Taliban required women to wear the burqa and be accompanied by a male relative when leaving the house.

Previously Taliban stopped dozens of Afghans from leaving their country illegally by air. A top Taliban official said some of the women were also detained until they were picked up by their male relatives.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said a group of residents had attempted to leave Afghanistan by flight from the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. “Forty people were arrested. They wanted to go abroad illegally by plane,” said Mujahid.

Tens of thousands of Afghans are still desperate to leave their country. They fear the Taliban will retaliate, because of their ties to foreign forces or the previous US-backed regime.

Taliban say any Afghan is allowed to leave the country, as long as they have official documents including visas. But obtaining official documents in Afghanistan has been particularly difficult, as only a handful of embassies have operated since Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021.

Taliban asked Afghans who had the skills and training to help rebuild the country. Taliban have vowed to take a softer approach since returning to power. They committed not to apply harsh rules when they came to power in 1996-2001. But Taliban still imposes some restrictions on women.

Women are prohibited from traveling long distances unless accompanied by a close male relative. Women are also barred from returning to work in most government sectors.

In recent weeks, women’s activists have staged small and sporadic protests in Kabul and other cities. But the Taliban dispersed the demonstration by force. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)