Afghan art activist defiant as Taliban erase Kabul muralsWithin weeks of capturing Kabul, the Taliban have started replacing many of the city's murals with propaganda slogansSEOUL - Afghan activist Omaid Sharifi's art collective spent seven years transforming stretches of Kabul's labyrinthine concrete blast walls with colourful murals -- then the Taliban marched in. - 'Everybody was running' -Sharifi co-founded ArtLords in 2014, using art to campaign for peace, social justice and accountability. The prolific group often shamed the powerful in Afghanistan with street art, including warlords and allegedly corrupt government officials. Their murals honoured Afghan heroes, called for dialogue instead of violence, and demanded rights for women. Sharifi told AFP he "vividly remembers" the public punishments at a football stadium in Kabul, including beheadings and amputations for various crimes.

Source: Bangkok Post September 07, 2021 03:45 UTC