The Taliban are taking things very seriously in the name of religion.
In Afghanistan, the extremist group has begun beheading shop mannequins for violating their stringent interpretation of Islam.
According to reports, the Taliban has designated the mannequin heads as "idols," which are prohibited in Islam.
The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice instructed shops in the western Afghan province of Herat to remove female dummy heads, reports said.
Those who ignore the order would face severe repercussions, according to the ministry's local section.
The MPVPV is tasked with the responsibility of enforcing the Taliban's rigid interpretation of Islam.
Idolatry, or the worship of idols, is a grave sin in Islam, where it is prohibited to worship anybody or anything other than Allah, who is considered to be the one God.
Initially, the ministry ordered retailers to remove all mannequins, but merchants objected, claiming that doing so would destroy what little commerce remained.
After hearing the complaints, Sheikh Aziz-u-Rahman, the MPVPV's chief, determined that the heads of the mannequins should be removed instead.
According to the Aghan news outlet Raha Press, the local ministry's director stated that even glancing at the face of a female mannequin is prohibited under the Sharia Law.
Raha Press said businesses and retailers in Herat are outraged by the beheading mandate, citing the hefty cost of acquiring the mannequins as the reason for their displeasure.
The mannequins may cost up to $200 each, and ripping their heads off is a "huge loss" for shop owners, Raha Press reported.
The heads of the mannequins should be covered, not beheaded, according to Abdul Wadood Faiz Zada of the Italian publication Repubblica.
The Taliban have not changed, Mohammad Yusuf added, and "there will be restrictions again."
The MPVPV was re-established in Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in September. The old Ministry of Women Affairs was replaced by an all-male ministry since then.
Thus, reigniting paranoia that the Taliban's moral authorities would suppress women's rights in the country.
In recent weeks, the Taliban has also made it illegal for women to travel long distances without a male companion, and they must wear a veil while inside the vehicle.
At the same time, they declared all music in vehicles to be illegal, as well as 'intoxicating' beverages.
Meanwhile, the United Nations food program predicts that up to half of the Afghani population may face starvation by the end of the winter, when economic disaster collides with drought, plunging vast swaths of the population into destitution.
