タリバン、マネキンの首切り命令　イスラム法違反を理由に

【ヘラートＡＦＰ＝時事】アフガニスタンの実権を握るイスラム主義組織タリバンは、西部ヘラートの商店に対し、人間の形をした像はシャリア（イスラム法）に違反するとして、マネキンの頭部を切断するように命じた。（写真はアフガニスタン西部ヘラートの商店に展示された、首を切られたマネキン）
　ソーシャルメディア上では、マネキンの首を切り落とす様子を撮影した動画が話題を呼び、国内外から非難の声が上がっている。
　タリバンは昨年８月に実権を掌握して以来、シャリアの厳格な解釈に基づく統治を強化。特に女性や少女の自由を厳しく制限している。マネキン関連を含めた規制は、正式な国家政策として発表はされていないが、各地では地方当局が不道徳と判断する行為を取り締まっている。
　ヘラートの勧善懲悪省トップ、アジズ・ラフマン氏は５日、ＡＦＰに対し、マネキンの首切断命令を出したことを認めた。一部の店主はマネキンの頭をスカーフやバッグで覆い、首切りを回避しようとしたが、ラフマン氏はそれでは不十分だと述べている。
　複数の商店主はこの命令に反発。ある衣料品店の男性は、１体５０００アフガニ（約５５００円）で購入したマネキンの首を切り落としたといい「マネキンがないのにどうやって商品を売れというのか？ 客はマネキンの上にきちんと着せられた服が好きなんだ」とＡＦＰに語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/01/07-11:41）

The Taliban have ordered shop owners in western Afghanistan to cut the heads off mannequins, insisting figures representing the human form violate Islamic law.
A video clip showing men sawing the heads off shop dummies in Herat has gone viral on social media, drawing scorn both inside and outside the country.
Since returning to power in August, the Taliban have increasingly imposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic law and severely curtailed freedoms -- particularly those of women and girls.
While the hardline Islamists have not issued any formal national policy on mannequins -- or other creeping restrictions -- various local authorities are clamping down on what they say are immoral practices.
Aziz Rahman, head of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat, confirmed the order to AFP on Wednesday.
Some shopkeepers had tried to get around the decapitation order by covering mannequin heads with scarves or bags, but Rahman said that did not go far enough.
If they just cover the head or hide the entire mannequin, the angel of Allah will not enter their shop or house and bless them, he said.
Several shopkeepers in the city of around 600,000 were angered by the order.
As you can see, we have cut the heads off, Basheer Ahmed, a garment seller, told AFP, adding each dummy had cost 5,000 afghanis (around $50).
When there is no mannequin how do you expect us to sell our products? The customer likes it when the garment is draped properly over a mannequin.
After returning to power on August 15 the Taliban promised a softer version of the harsh rule that characterised their first stint in power, from 1996 until 2001, when any artificial representation of the human form was outlawed.
But restrictions have been creeping back including local reports of orders for people to attend prayers five times a day, for men to grow beards, and for Western clothing to be discouraged.
Women, in particular, are feeling the brunt of the new orders, and are slowly being squeezed out of public life.
Most secondary schools for girls are shut, women are barred from government employment apart from select specialised areas, and last week new guidelines stated they cannot undertake long journeys unless accompanied by a male relative.
The Taliban have also stepped up raids on liquor sellers, rounded up drug addicts and banned music.
Their takeover has devastated aid-dependent Afghanistan's economy, with billions of dollars of assets frozen by the United States and international aid largely paused.
However, the UN Security Council last week adopted a US resolution to help humanitarian aid reach desperate Afghans while keeping funds out of the hands of the Taliban government, which has yet to be recognised by any country.