Shopkeepers cover mannequins’ heads under Taliban rule

Mannequins’ heads across the Afghanistan capital Kabul are now covered in fabric, tin foil, and trash bags after the Taliban ordered mannequins be beheaded under Islamic law. The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Shortly after that, it issued a decree saying mannequins must be removed from shop windows or their heads be taken off. Some shopkeepers complied with the law, but others said removing a model’s head would make it more difficult to sell their wares. The Taliban eventually amended its order and allowed shopkeepers to cover the mannequins’ heads, rather than behead them.

Why does the Taliban have that rule? The rule is based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law that bans statues and images in human form, since they could be worshiped as idols. One shop owner said agents of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue regularly patrol shops and malls for anyone not complying with the law. There are a few male mannequins appearing in windows with their heads covered. Afghanistan’s economy has been declining since the Taliban took over, and shopkeepers are struggling to sell luxury items. Many say their mannequins are a necessary advertising tool.

Dig deeper: Read Sharon Dierberger’s report in WORLD magazine on Afghan allies waiting for U.S. help.