Fear, uncertainty as Afghans adjust to new normal under Taleban rule

KABUL • Gone are the Western clothes favoured by the fashion-conscious in the Afghan capital, with men on the streets now wearing the traditional shalwar kameez.

And there are hardly any women to be seen.

"The fear is there," said a shopkeeper yesterday, asking not to be named.

Life was returning to a new normal in Kabul as cautious residents ventured out of their homes to see what things would be like under the Taleban, following its return to power at the weekend.

For some, it was as if the last 20 years had never happened. Already, there are signs that people are changing the way they live to accommodate the return of the hardline Islamist regime - if not by direct order, then at least for self-preservation.

During its first stint in power - from 1996 until 2001 when it was ousted by the United States-led invasion in the wake of the Sept 11 attacks - the Taleban ruled with a strict interpretation of the Quran and syariah law.

A swift whipping across the back of the legs by cadres from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice was common for those who were tardy during prayer times.

Public floggings, amputations of limbs for thieves and even executions were scheduled for Fridays - sometimes held at the national stadium.

A ban on mixed schools meant that most girls could not get an education, and women were barred from working in situations where they might have contact with men.

There was no sign yesterday that such strict measures had been re-introduced - or even would be - but people were taking no chances.

"People are scared of the unknown," another shopkeeper said. "The Taleban is patrolling the city in small convoys. They don't harass people but, of course, the people are scared."

2001 The year the Taleban, whose first stint in power started in 1996, was ousted by the United States-led invasion in the wake of the Sept 11 attacks.

A sign of the new times was seen on the TV stations that proliferated during the Taleban's absence.

State TV is showing mostly pre-recorded Islamic programmes or announcements from Maulvi Ishaq Nizami - a man introduced as the head of Voice of Sharia, the Taleban media outlet.

Tolo TV, the private channel that thrived over the past two decades on a mix of Western-style game shows, soap operas and talent contests, has stopped most routine programming and is now showing reruns of a Turkish drama about the Ottoman empire.

It did, however, have a newscast with a female presenter interviewing a Taleban official.

Yesterday, the Taleban announced a "general amnesty" for all government officials and urged them to return to work.

"You should start your routine life with full confidence," the announcement said - and some appeared to take the advice to heart, with white-capped traffic police reappearing on the streets for the first time in days, although traffic was not as busy as usual.

Mr Suhail Shaheen, a Taleban spokesman, repeated late on Monday that women would not face any threat in the future.

"Their right to education is also protected," he said, but the Taleban has generally been vague in pronouncements on how it would rule Afghanistan, apart from saying that it would be in accordance with Islamic principles.

And in one remarkable act of defiance, a handful of women protested briefly outside an entrance to the Green Zone, demanding the right to go back to their jobs as cooks or cleaners for the affluent living there. A truck full of Taleban fighters tried to shoo them away, but they stayed put until ordinary civilians persuaded them to leave.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE