2016-07-27
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Use of the Internet by individuals and national and international organizations has been banned by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia to prevent access to "things that are wrong, obscene, immoral and against Islam," the official Afghan Islamic Press reported Friday. The news agency said the order was issued last week from the Taliban headquarters in Kandahar, which cited misuse of the facility as the reason for the ban. "We want to establish a system in Afghanistan through which we can control all those things that are wrong, obscene, immoral and against Islam," the AIP quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Maulvi Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil as saying. The Taliban is made up of hard-line Islamic fundamentalists. In 1996, in a factional war against other Islamic groups, it toppled the government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who is still recognized by most of the world as Afghanistan's legitimate leader. In March this year, the militia destroyed historic statues of the Buddha, claiming that the Koran, Islam's holy book, forbids idolatry. Later, they ordered Hindus living in areas under their control to wear distinctive identification badges on their clothing for easy identification. They later canceled the label ruling. A small number of people working with the United Nations in Afghanistan have Internet access in Kabul. Few, if any, private Afghan's are thought to have it.
more from beliefnet and our partners