jihad called on talent shows Religious hardliners have declared a jihad against the television talent shows that have taken Afghanistan by storm, condemning the way they feature unveiled women singing and dancing. The programs - modelled on Western favourites such as The Voice and X Factor - are popular with young people in a country where television ownership has risen sharply since the Taliban was ousted from Kabul in 2001. At the same time, there is a growing backlash against what many see as foreign values. Abdul Sattar Khawasi, an MP, is leading the campaign and has secured a promise from the Minister of Information to review the programs. "I have already made it clear in the lower house that I am going to start a jihad against these kind of shows and programs on our television channels," he said. Swaths of Afghanistan remain beholden to conservative clerics, but a lively media scene is a reminder that things have changed since the five-year reign of the Taliban, when television, films and videos were banned. Broadcasting has boomed in recent years. With that has come an almost insatiable demand for talent and reality shows. Among them is a program to find the next football star, and for Ramadan last year Tolo TV developed a Koran Idol-style contest to appease more traditional tastes. Islamic scholars judged contestants on their ability to recite scripture. Such is the demand that Simon Cowell is planning to launch a local version of Britain's Got Talent. But the talent shows have also stoked controversy. During the first season of Afghan Star - a local copy of Pop Idol - one woman was forced into hiding after her headscarf slipped as she danced.