Cell Phone Conundrum In Afghanistan: A Complex Ban

Cell phones have not been banned in Afghanistan, but the Taliban have stopped cell phone signals in certain provinces, such as Helmand and Ghazni. They have also imposed night-time bans on mobile services in the south and east of the country. In 2016, the Taliban collected smartphones that played music and videos from local residents in the Qarah Bagh district of Ghazni. The Taliban have also used cell phones as a propaganda tool, sending video and text messages to deter Afghans from supporting the government or joining the security forces.

The Taliban have stopped cell phone signals in Afghanistan's Helmand province

In March 2011, the Taliban stopped cell phone signals in Helmand, a southern province of Afghanistan. Telecoms engineers and company officials confirmed the shutdown, which lasted for five days. The Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said it was to prevent night raids by foreign troops, arguing that civilian deaths occurred because spies provided information to foreign troops via cell phones.

The shutdown was a reminder of insurgent power in an area chosen as the showcase for a transition to Afghan security. Helmand was the first step towards a full handover, with Afghan police and army slated to take control of the capital, Lashkar Gah, from foreign forces in July 2011.

The Taliban's ban on cell phones in Helmand caused resentment among ordinary Afghans towards both the Taliban and the government for its inaction. A resident of Helmand, Mohammad Jan, expressed worry about his family as he could no longer get in touch with them. He further questioned the reliability of foreign troops and the Afghan government for protection.

The Taliban have long targeted mobile phone masts to prevent tip-offs from Afghan civilians to foreign forces. They have also imposed restrictions on mobile phones and the internet to limit the freedom of Afghan youth and prevent them from connecting with the world.

While the Taliban have denied imposing such restrictions, their actions indicate a different reality. They have destroyed network towers of companies that refuse to shut them down and have punished people for using smartphones.

Mobile phones are vital for communication in Afghanistan, especially in the absence of landlines. The ban on cell phone signals in Helmand disrupted communication and caused significant problems for residents, government, and businesses.

The Taliban have been using phones as a propaganda tool

The Taliban have also been active on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where they spread messages of strength and moderation to project an image of inevitability within Afghanistan and legitimacy to the outside world. They have also been using encrypted messaging apps such as Signal and Telegram. Through these platforms, they target government soldiers directly, depicting them as mercenaries and urging them to surrender or face brutal consequences. At the same time, they assure the international community that they respect women and girls and that they have changed their ways since their previous rule.

The Taliban understand that modern warfare includes an information war, and they are trying to dominate the existing media landscape in Afghanistan. They have also launched a website for religious chants, with links to sermons in support of jihad, martyrdom, the veil, and the ban on music.

The use of phones and social media by the Taliban is a significant shift from their previous rule in the 1990s, when they banned the use of the internet, television, and music.

The Taliban have been punishing people for using smartphones

In 2016, the Taliban launched a drive to collect smartphones that played music and videos from residents in the Qarah Bagh district of Afghanistan's southern Ghazni province. They stopped each person and checked their mobile phones. This was not the first time the Taliban had banned music. Under their rule in Afghanistan, there was a complete ban on music. In 1998, an official notice in Taliban-controlled papers in Afghanistan warned, "Those who listen to music and songs in this world, on the Day of Judgment molten lead will be poured into their ears." People faced imprisonment if musical instruments and audiocassette tapes were found with them. Several musicians who were caught performing or playing an instrument were beaten and jailed.

The Taliban's practice of searching smartphones has provoked outrage in Afghanistan. Many Afghans consider it offensive for strangers to look through their private information. The Taliban's actions are a violation of Islamic Sharia law, which forbids any interference in the personal privacy of anyone without permission.

The Taliban have also stopped cell phone signals in key Afghan provinces, causing major problems for residents, the government, and businesses. In 2011, there was no service for five days on any network in Helmand, where the Afghan police and army were slated to take control of the capital, Lashkar Gah, from foreign forces. Across Afghanistan, insurgents have destroyed network towers of companies that refuse to shut them down when ordered, arguing that foreign forces use the signals to monitor militants.

The Taliban have also been using phones for propaganda. They are sending video and text messages to deter the population from supporting the Afghan government or joining the security forces. The clips sent by the Taliban to subscribers include beheadings, real-life suicide bombings, and roadside bomb explosions. They are intended to warn the populace against supporting the authorities or joining the Afghan National Army or the police.

The Taliban have been collecting smartphones that play music and videos from residents

In 2016, the Taliban launched a drive to collect smartphones that played music and videos from local residents in the Qarah Bagh district of Afghanistan's southern Ghazni province. A resident of the Mirakhan area of the district said that the Taliban had collected mobile phones from people in their area. He also stated that the Taliban stopped each person and checked their phone. Another resident of the Ghazni province said that the Taliban had long banned the use of large-screen mobile phones, which they believe have misguided the youth.

The Taliban's crackdown on smartphones is part of a larger effort to impose strict rules and restrictions on Afghans, particularly in areas under their control. This includes bans on music, shaving beards, wearing bright or tight-fitting clothes, and girls' education. During their previous rule in Afghanistan, the Taliban imposed heavy restrictions, including banning music, photography, cinema, and television. They also enforced strict punishments, such as amputations and executions, for those who violated their laws.

The use of smartphones and modern technology by the Taliban themselves has been noted, as they spread propaganda and project their authority through text messages, videos, and social media. They have also adapted to using encrypted apps and targeted government soldiers directly, urging them to surrender or face consequences.

The Taliban's restrictions on smartphones and their use of modern technology for their own purposes highlight the contradiction between their harsh rule and their attempts to project an image of moderation and legitimacy.

The Taliban have been imposing night-time bans on mobile services

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said they were imposing the order because US and NATO military forces were using the networks to locate their fighters. Taliban insurgents have also long relied on mobile and satellite phones to communicate with field commanders and relay media statements.

The Taliban edict forced mobile phone operators to comply under threat of violence. Over the past few weeks, militants have destroyed several phone towers in Kunduz. "We had no other option but to turn them off," said Engineer Omar, who heads operations in the north of the country for Afghan Wireless Communications Company, one of Afghanistan's largest mobile phone companies.

Night-time blackouts have become a fact of life for Afghans in insecure areas. In 2011, the Taliban stopped cell phone signals in the key Afghan province of Helmand. There was no service for five days on any network in the area. The insurgents have also destroyed network towers belonging to companies that refuse to shut them down when ordered, arguing that foreign forces use the signals to monitor militants.

In 2016, the Taliban collected smartphones that played music and video songs from local residents in Qarah Bagh district in Ghazni province. The same year, the Taliban imposed harsh limits on the use of mobile phones in a remote area of northwestern Afghanistan. Residents said the Taliban had ordered mobile phone operators to only turn their networks on for two hours per day.

The Taliban's use of mobile phones for propaganda purposes has also been documented. The group sends video and text messages to deter the population from supporting the Afghan government or joining the security forces.

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