 The Taliban have banned TV and video CDs in public in the Wazir areas of South Waziristan, warning that strict punishment will be meted out to violators.
| The Taliban, y'see, are the officially designated enforcers of the laws of the land in them there parts. |
A pamphlet issued by Mujahideen Waziristan and Aman (Peace) Committee chief Qasim Khan declared that the decision would take effect from Wednesday (June 20). “No tea shop or restaurant in Wana, Azam Warsak, Kaloosha and Angoor Adda will be allowed to show TV shows or play CDs and violators will be fined Rs 20,000 and their establishments will be demolished,” the pamphlet pasted in Wana’s Rustam Bazaar read.
| Any Taliban organization is, of course, duly empowered to destroy the property of anyone who violates their arbitrary dictates. |
The pamphlet did not state the reasons for the ban but a senior Taliban leader was quoted as saying the move was aimed at “keeping children away from watching jihadi CDs”.
| "Yasss. We're doing it for the children. Really." |
Eyewitnesses said all tea shops and restaurants removed TV sets and CD players immediately after the Taliban announced the ban. “Watching CDs showing violence is not good for the children,” a source quoting senior Taliban commanders told Daily Times.
| I tend to agree with that statement. On the other hand, banning everyone from watching anything to ensure the kiddies don't watch something does seem a bit draconian. |
Asked how the Taliban can claim they are stopping children from watching Jihadi CDs when they are recruiting children from schools in Tank district for jihad, a Taliban commander responded: “The situation in post-Uzbek Wana is different.”
| "Yeah. Dose CDs is red. Ain't dey, boss?" |
Mullah Nazir Ahmed, who took over as the Taliban ameer in September last year, asked senior commanders not to select school-going children for jihad. Mullah Nazir led an uprising against Uzbek militants in March this year, which resulted in the killing of more than 200 Uzbeks and forced the rest to flee to Mehsud areas in South and North Waziristan. |