The Ministry of Information and Culture has asked the female newscasters and presenters to observe Islamic ethics and national culture while appearing on televisions. In a notice, the ministry has asked all the television channels not to allow the newsreaders with unveiled heads and "thick make-up" to appear on the televisions for the programs. This instruction provides food for thought.

The history of Afghanistan is replete with sad tales and stories of slaughter and torture of innocent people. These actions would mainly emanate from intolerance rooted in either extremist ideologies or ethnic exclusionism. The massacre of people by the Taliban or executions and tortures by the political groups with leftist ideologies are a case in point.

This repressive intolerance has perpetuated human disaster in this troubled part of the world. Over the last ten years, there have been a relative freedom of speech and press and people have had the chance to choose their lifestyle and dresses.

But the new directive given by the Ministry of Information and Culture to the media is a cause for concern as it reminds the dark days of Taliban regime when a most extremist and strict Islamic interpretation was imposed regarding women and girls in the society . It is not clear and one cannot understand that what motivates the Ministry of Information and Culture to impose limitation on the "thickness of women's make-up."

There are other cultural elements that have existed throughout the history and run counter to a true and genuine spirit of Islamic teaching. These cultural elements continue to claim human lives and affect the whole society. Instead of limiting the level of thickness of women's makeup, the ministry has to address those cultural elements.

In fact, this limitation imposed by the ministry will lead to manipulation of individuals by the state and prolong the delay in progress. In a society where violence prevails and causes human suffering, hardline and strict guidelines can only perpetuate this violence.

So when the national culture carries within itself violent elements and needs to be reformed and humanized, it is catastrophic to base a "make-up and dress code" on that. Such arbitrary and repressive warning to television channels is marking the beginning of a reversal in individual freedom of Afghan citizens. History will judge these actions.