ISLAMABAD — An Afghan province has banned all media from showing images of living beings to ensure compliance with the Taliban’s moral laws.

Thursday’s decision was announced by information ministry officials in Helmand, the latest province to crack down on broadcasting and photography of humans and animals.

In August, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue issued laws regulating aspects of daily life such as public transportation, shaving, media and celebrations, reflecting the authorities’ interpretation of Islamic law, or sharia. Article 17 prohibits the publication of images of living beings.

Helmand officials said filming and photography of living things would stop immediately. They gave no further information about the application or exceptions.

Last week, Taliban-run media stopped broadcasting images of living beings in Takhar, Maidan Wardak and Kandahar provinces, in accordance with the laws.

Some private channels have also reportedly stopped broadcasting images and videos or living beings to ensure compliance.

No other Muslim-majority countries impose similar restrictions, including Iran and Saudi Arabia. Under their previous regime in the late 1990s, the Taliban completely banned most television, radio and newspapers.

Also on Thursday, the Ministry of Information announced that it had banned 400 books contrary to Islamic and Afghan values.

Banned books were collected from stores and publishing houses and replaced with religious texts, including the Koran.

A ministry spokesperson, Khubaib Ghofran, wrote on Information and Culture. »