RASC News Agency: In a striking display of contradiction, Abdullah Sarhadi, the Taliban-appointed governor of Bamiyan, has openly accepted and celebrated a painted portrait of himself, despite the Taliban’s stringent prohibition against painting and photographing living beings. On Tuesday, December 17, the Taliban’s media office in Bamiyan released images of Sarhadi receiving the artwork from a local artist. The Taliban claimed that the Fanous Art Workshop in Bamiyan created and presented the portrait to Sarhadi as a token of appreciation for his “services and support for children.” This event, however, starkly contrasts with the Taliban’s enforcement of their own restrictive decrees. Only recently, in Kabul, the Taliban brutally assaulted an artist for depicting human faces and animals, subsequently shutting down his workshop.
Under the Taliban’s Amr bil Ma’ruf (Vice and Virtue) mandate, any form of painting or photographing living beings is declared “Haram” (Forbidden) and strictly outlawed. Since their return to power, the Taliban’s oppressive measures have forced thousands of artists to close their studios, leaving them with no choice but to pursue arduous and menial jobs to survive. This incident once again reveals the Taliban’s blatant double standards, where their stringent rules are imposed on the public while exceptions are made for their own benefit. Over the past three years, the Taliban have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to suppressing women’s rights and freedom of expression.
While they closed schools and universities for Afghanistani girls, declaring female education “un-Islamic,” their own daughters continue to receive education abroad, notably in countries like Pakistan and Qatar. The acceptance of Sarhadi’s portrait serves as yet another emblem of the Taliban’s hypocrisy, further fueling frustration among artists, educators, and citizens who remain subject to their oppressive rule.
