The Sm:)le net club, a gaming cafe in downtown Kabul, used to be a haven for young people in the city: an escape from the daily grind in a country where decades of war and economic malaise have dimmed their prospects.
"Unemployment has increased a lot in the last few weeks ... and we come here to play," said student Ahmad Shoieb, sitting amongst the plush sofas and large TV screens featuring soccer and fighting games.The Islamist movement has been at pains to show a more conciliatory face to the world since it swept to power on Aug. 15, but there remains uncertainty over how it will govern.
When they last ruled Afghanistan, the Taliban banned television, most commercial music and video games, and imposed harsh public punishments on those that broke its rules.