http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010719/od/ban_dc.html

Thursday July 19 8:15 AM ET

Taliban Bans Neckties, Lipstick, Chess

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - Afghanistan (news - web sites)'s ruling Taliban movement on Wednesday banned the import of 30 items it said were un-Islamic, including playing cards, neckties, lipsticks, nail polish and chessboards.

The radical Islamic movement's Voice of Shariat radio, monitored in Islamabad, said the ban was ordered by the Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.

Other items listed as banned for being ``against the Sharia,'' or Islamic law, include fireworks, statues, fashion catalogs and greeting cards featuring pictures of people, musical instruments and cassettes.

Also banned were computer discs, movies, satellite TV dishes, pig fat products and anything made of human hair.

The radio quoted the leader's order as telling border guards and security agencies to seize the banned items and hand them over to the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which acts as the Taliban's religious police.

Wednesday's order follows one last month banning the printing of pictures of animals or verses from the Koran on any products.

The Taliban, which swept to power in 1996 and controls about 95 percent of the war-ravaged country, has already banned television, the playing of music and photographs of people and animals.

It has also barred women from education, most types of work, and from going out without wearing the all-enveloping ''burqa'' veil. Men are ordered to grow long beards and not wear Western dress.

The movement provoked international protests earlier this year by ordering the destruction of ancient Buddhist statues and asking the country's small non-Muslim community to wear distinguishing badges.

The statues, including the world's largest two Buddhas carved in a cliff near the central Afghan town of Bamiyan, were destroyed, but no decree has yet come from Omar about the badges to be worn by non-Muslims.

-- Grateful for (my@own.freedom), July 19, 2001

Answers

This means that Gary Condit can never have an Afghan girlfriend.

-- Lars (larsguy@yahoo.com), July 19, 2001.

Standard puritan agenda. Think of the Blue Laws that were widespread in the good old US of A, back when men were men and women were kept in their place. Or think of what Pat Robertson would do if he were king.

-- Little Nipper (canis@minor.net), July 19, 2001.

Looking around the globe noone could have picked a better spot for these clowns to rule a roost. Give the Iranians another ten years and I bet they solve this blight and noone else will even flinch.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), July 19, 2001.

I guess this means that Afghanistan will soon be withdrawing from the World Chess Federation.

I wonder if men are permitted to wear the all-enveloping "burqa" veil in public.

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), July 19, 2001.

AIN,T RELIGION A TRIP. GO THRRE AND TELLEM,JESUS LOVES THEM,AND THEY'LL KILL YA.

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), July 19, 2001.

I suppose short skirts are out too.

-- Jack Booted Thug (governmentconspiracy@NWO.com), July 19, 2001.