Afghanistan

The Islamic state set up by the Taliban after their seizure of Kabul in 1996 brutally stamped out freedom of expression. The Internet was seen by these "theology students" as a heretical and dangerous medium. The 20 years of war that destroyed the country's phone network is another reason the Internet hardly exists. In 2000-2001, only leading Taliban and officials of government ministries and international humanitarian organisations, along with a few leaders of the opposition Northern Alliance, had access to it, via Pakistan or a satellite link. The Internet was formally outlawed by the Taliban on 13 July 2001 to "prevent access to all vulgar, immoral or anti-Islamic material," as the foreign ministry put it. Six weeks later, a new decree by Taliban leader Mullah Omar banned government and non-government organisations, local and foreign, and all citizens from using it. The religious police were ordered to mete out Islamic punishment to offenders. Only the headquarters of the Taliban militia was allowed to use the Internet, to approve e-mail sent by government ministries. The regime's collapse in November 2001 opened a new era. When he was sworn in on 22 December, the interim president, Hamid Karzai, stressed that freedom of expression and belief was the right of all Afghans and the government's job was to defend it. The road to widespread Internet access will be hard however. There are no laws about the Internet, but the problem is logging on. The phone network is too dilapidated to be used for Internet connection, so no ISPs can operate in the country. Satellite phones are the only way to get online and are freely used by government officials, foreign journalists, NGOs and the army. But very few ordinary people can afford to use this very expensive means of communication. The communications ministry and the UN Development Programme inaugurated the domain name "af" for Afghan Internet users in March 2003. "This is our flag on the Internet," said the minister. There is so far no regulation of the Internet, but the ministry, helped by international organisations, is drawing up a telecommunications law. The first cybercafé was opened in Kabul in August 2002 by the Afghan Wireless Communication company. Soon afterwards, the media aid NGO Aïna opened an Internet centre for Afghan journalists. In March 2003, there were about five cybercafés in Kabul. The Internet is a vital source of information however for the tens of thousands of Afghans who live in the United States, Canada, Australia, France and Germany. At the end of 2001, they decided to use the Internet to help rebuild the country and unite the scattered diaspora. Exiles working in California's Silicon Valley created a site called Virtual Nation, linking Afghans around the world and aid organisations seeking to help the country. Links: Afghan Reconstruction Development Center The Afghanistan news agency The ministry of communications