KABUL — At first glance, the tastefully decorated rooms, embellished by dark wood floors and soft mood lighting, seem like an unlikely incubator of radicalism. Even now — amid a growing number of female television anchors, police officers and entertainers — the only way to ensure the female form is stripped of controversy is to cover it head to toe in a burqa and place a man at its side. If anyone creates or displays nude paintings, then mullahs will issue a fatwa to kill them. For some, the paintings are a sign of progress, evidence that a new generation of women has benefited from the influence of Western nongovernmental organizations that have spent the previous decade financing initiatives that encourage female education and agency. The nudes are the work of one of the artists who exhibit here, an outspoken year-old studying at Kabul University.

It has been weeks in lockdown for Hoda Khamosh, but the year-old has managed to stick to a routine. This includes sitting down in the afternoons to write poetry, mostly with an erotic spin to it. The country of 38 million people has just passed an official coronavirus infection toll of 4, with reported deaths, but as testing is limited the true numbers are thought to be much higher.

A female Afghan activists has reportedly posted her nude photo in a bid to protest against the public punishment of a young woman and man in western Ghor province of Afghanistan. The photograph of the female activist was widely shared in social media websites with subscribers saying the activist who is a journalist took the bold step to denounce the trial and punishment of the young couple. It is believed that the activist is currently residing outside the country and the photograph was deleted immediately after it was posted, apparently to prevent furore among the people.