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The Taliban ask television channels to stop broadcasting series with women in them

The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has issued "religious directives" to television channels and journalists.

The Taliban Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has called on Afghan television stations to stop broadcasting series featuring women, as part of new "religious directives" broadcast on Sunday. "Television stations must avoid showing soap operas and soap operas in which women have appeared", says a document issued by the ministry to the media.

It also asks them to ensure that female journalists wear "the Islamic veil" on screen, without specifying whether this means a simple headscarf, already usually worn on Afghan television, or a more covering veil. "These are not rules, but religious directives", ministry spokesman Hakif Mohajir told AFP. Afghan television stations are also being urged to avoid programmes "opposed to Islamic and Afghan values", as well as those that insult religion or "show the prophet and his companions". This is the first time the ministry has attempted to regulate Afghan television since the Taliban seized power in mid-August.

Respect for "Islamic values

During their first reign, from 1996 to 2001, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, responsible for ensuring that the population respected "Islamic values" on a daily basis, was feared for its fundamentalism and the punishments it entailed. The Taliban had banned television, cinema and all forms of entertainment deemed immoral. People caught watching television were punished and their equipment destroyed; possession of a video recorder was punishable by public flogging. For a time, television sets could even be seen hanging from lampposts.

Overthrown in 2001, the Taliban returned to power last August in a country with a transformed media landscape after 20 years of Western-backed government. Over these two decades, the media sector has exploded, with dozens of private radio stations and television channels springing up. They offered new opportunities to women, who were not allowed to work or study under the Taliban in the 1990s. Today, although the Taliban are showing a more moderate face, they have still not allowed many women to return to work in the public services.

Classes for girls in secondary schools and public universities have not yet reopened in most of the country. At private universities, the Taliban have demanded that female students wear veils. Taliban fighters have also on several occasions beaten up journalists accused of covering "unauthorised" demonstrations by women.

Text Le Matin.ch (AFP)

The French Parliament adopts the law implementing the "health pass".

The day after another day of mobilisation by its opponents, the anti-Covid health pass was definitively adopted in France on Sunday evening. MPs and senators reached an agreement in principle on this controversial text.

The National Assembly ended the parliamentary marathon that began on Tuesday with a wide-ranging vote, with 156 votes in favour, from the majority and the right, 60 against, from the left and the Rassemblement National, and 14 abstentions.

The leader of the La France insoumise MPs, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, unsuccessfully put forward a final motion to reject the bill, denouncing the anti-Covid pass as "parole" and calling for "disobedience". Olivier Véran, the French Minister for Health, was a little provocative, welcoming the "new-found national unity" after a total of 60 hours of debate in both chambers.

Time limits

Shortly before, it was the right-wing-dominated Senate that had approved by 195 votes to 129, with 17 abstentions, the same text providing for an extended pass and compulsory vaccination for healthcare workers. In the joint committee, 14 deputies and senators reached an agreement (see also box) in the early evening, after almost four hours of meetings.

Therefore, after 15 November, the pass system can only be continued with a new vote by Parliament. Initially, checks will be carried out by the administrative police rather than the criminal justice system.

No redundancies for care workers

In addition, as the senators wished, it is the health insurance scheme that will first monitor the compulsory isolation of people infected with Covid-19, before the police intervene if necessary. "We couldn't treat French people like criminals", said Senator Hervé Marseille (Union Centrist).

Finally, there will be no dismissal for people who fail to comply with the vaccination obligation because of their profession, but their salary will be suspended. This point had been hotly debated.

Pass extended at the beginning of August

In a rare move, a last-minute government amendment authorising prefects to impose the pass in large shopping centres in a highly restricted manner was adopted at the last minute. However, the requirement to present the pass had been deleted by the Senate, a deletion subsequently approved by the Joint Committee.

The extended pass is due to come into effect at the beginning of August. Time is running out in the face of an unprecedented surge in infections in France linked to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19. The bill still has to pass through the Constitutional Council, to which Prime Minister Jean Castex and the left-wing party have referred the matter.

Text by Le monde agences/jop/vajo/vic

Carrying firearms in public and without a licence authorised in Texas

Opponents of the law, in Texas and across the country, argue that relaxing gun rules will lead to more violence.

The Republican governor of Texas on Wednesday signed into law a bill allowing people to carry firearms in public without a permit, the latest in a series of measures expanding gun rights in conservative states across the US.

This law, passed in May by a Republican-dominated Senate and House of Representatives in this southern state, allows anyone aged 21 or over who is not prohibited from owning a firearm to carry one in public without a permit. It is due to come into force on 1 September. The text considers that the Constitutions of the United States and Texas authorise citizens to carry firearms and that, consequently, there should be fewer obstacles in this area.

Governor Greg Abbott plans to preside over an enactment ceremony on Thursday, according to the Texas Tribune. He had indicated that he would sign the law into law if it passed both houses. "This is something that about twenty other states have passed, and it's time for Texas to pass it too", he said in April on local radio station WBAP.

22 supermarket deaths in 2019

But opponents, particularly Democrats in Texas and across the country, argued that relaxing gun rules would generate more violence. They cited as examples the shooting in the Texas capital Austin that left one person dead and thirteen injured last week, as well as the shooting in an El Paso supermarket in 2019 that left 22 people dead and 23 injured.

Veronica Escobar, a Texas member of the US House of Representatives, said on Wednesday that Greg Abbott had "chosen to betray the victims of gun violence" by enacting the law.

"Despite strong support for legislation to prevent gun violence, Republicans, led by a cowardly governor, are more interested in getting the attention of the gun lobby than they are in preventing gun violence and honoring the victims and survivors in El Paso and across Texas," she tweeted.

On Monday, Representative Vikki Goodwin called on the Governor to veto the law following the shooting in Austin. "We must intervene to break this vicious circle", she said.

Text by Lematin.ch AFP

In France, it will be compulsory to wear a mask in enclosed public places from "next week".

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday that the measure would come into force on 1 August.

The decree making it compulsory in France to wear masks in enclosed areas open to the public will come into force "next week", French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced to the Senate.

"We were planning for these provisions to come into force on 1 August", said the Prime Minister. "I understand that this deadline was too late (...) so the decree will come into force next week", he said during his general policy statement to the senators.

"An effective prevention and protection measure".

"Wearing a mask is an effective preventive and protective measure, along with observing barrier procedures", he stressed.

Emmanuel Macron's announcement on 14 July that it would be compulsory to wear a mask in "enclosed public places" from 1 August had pleased those who advocated this measure, but they were calling for it to be applied without delay, including in the workplace.

Jean Castex pointed out that "in so-called professional premises, this implies a change in the health protocols governing the activities concerned".

By APF LE TEMPS