From Kabul with love - 22nd February 2023

Florists and balloon vendors in Kabul were hit in the heart and pocket by a heartless edict from the Taliban's ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice against celebrating Valentine's Day. Although observing the day for lovebirds isn't commonplace in Afghan society, in recent years, some well-off citizens, predominantly in major cities, have adopted the celebration.

The edict came days before 14th February, with notices displayed in every shop declaring that Valentine's Day was neither Islamic nor culturally compatible with Afghan customs. This rendered vendors' Valentine's-themed merchandise unmarketable, leaving florists, such as Omar, to pick up the tab.

Omar: "The market for people buying flowers is no good and also you know that people are not allowed to buy them. The Taliban aren't allowing people to buy flowers."

Taliban officers patrolled the flower market and balloon vendors, acting as a deterrent to those who desired to spoil their partners with romantic gestures. Zahrah's one of the shoppers impacted by the Taliban's restrictions.

Zahrah: "Because I have a marriage of love, we celebrate this day every year. It is important for me."

Faced with the Taliban's warning, Zahrah's scaled back how she marks Valentine's Day.

Zahrah: "The situation has changed. We can't celebrate it like other years. But we still celebrate it. There are some restrictions, but we celebrate it at home."

Having seized power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed restrictions on many aspects of Afghan society such as music, social media apps and videos. Women, in particular, have been affected by the regime's restrictions, being stripped of their rights to education and work, effectively erasing them from public life.