Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Afghanistan

WikiProject branding

Should this project's branding specifically use the de facto IEA flag in the WikiProject's image & a white-and-black themed project page? I know that this is technically a continuation of what the project looked like before the Taliban takeover (it was already white-and-black and the flag map file was already there; the file was simply updated), but now it looks as if the project page was designed around the colors of the Taliban flag.

I would argue that this isn't the most neutral option. I don't think it's necessarily not neutral, either, as editors (myself included) agreed in a number of discussions at Talk:Afghanistan that the Afghanistan article should be about the de facto regime, but I see that Tartan357 above agreed to use a more neutral image for the barnstar, and I think the project should do the same for its overall branding.

When it comes to international disputes, it's common for WikiProjects to either use symbols that are as neutral as possible, or to default to the de jure situation. For examples of projects that only use neutral symbols such as blank maps, see that WikiProject Abkhazia uses both the de jure and de facto flag on the main page, and simply a blank map of the area on the talk template. Likewise, WikiProject Kosovo simply uses a blank map on both the project page and in the talk template. For examples of projects that only display the de jure maps, see WikiProject Ukraine and Wikipedia:WikiProject Georgia (country) displaying undivided maps of the territories that the international community regards as belonging to their respective countries. Granted, it's hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison when Afghanistan is in a somewhat unique situation as the de jure Islamic Republic simply doesn't exist anymore, but to the international community, it continues to be regarded as "the real Afghanistan." Nevertheless, I still think that the other examples show that when disputes between de facto and de jure arise, WikiProjects tend to opt for more neutral options like using blank maps.

I recommend replacing the Taliban flag-map logo with a flagless map (either a provincial one like the one in the barnstar, or a solid green one like the other projects use) and changing the colors of the project to something other than the white-and-black color scheme seen in the Taliban flag. The background can still be white if that's the easiest on the eyes, but the border should be something other than black. I apologize if I've devoted way too much energy to discussing colors and flags here, but neutral symbolism is important.

 Vanilla  Wizard 💙 05:10, 2 August 2022 (UTC)

I don't think you're devoting too much energy to it. I did make the changes actively since the page was colored with the tricolor and the seal of the republic was used as the main image. The portal image had already been changed to the Taliban flag, causing both the Taliban flag and the IRA seal to appear together in {{WikiProject Afghanistan}}, which looked wrong. Also, keeping the IRA symbols (in my view) would've amounted to an activist stance since these symbols are effectively banned in Afghanistan, and the vast majority of what we write about Afghanistan has to do with what happens inside the country. It was the least change option preserving the existing structure of the page, and I have no problem with using another symbol that doesn't have to do with government at all. This is after all, not a government-oriented WikiProject but a country one focusing on all aspects of Afghan society. It can be a photograph taken in Afghanistan, a generic map, or a cultural symbol. This is not just a disputed symbols thing. Wikipedia:WikiProject Myanmar uses a lovely image of a peacock! When we have to use a flag, the default should be the IEA flag unless it's in an international context, but we don't have to use a flag as the symbol of this WikiProject. I would personally prefer something a little more engaging than a blank map, perhaps one of the images out of the collage at Kabul. ― Tartan357 ^Talk 06:09, 2 August 2022 (UTC)

Requested move at Talk:Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan#Requested move 28 October 2022

There is a requested move discussion at Talk:Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan#Requested move 28 October 2022 that may be of interest to members of this WikiProject. Extraordinary Writ (talk) 07:02, 4 November 2022 (UTC)

Requested move at Talk:The Buddha

The page which had been Gautama Buddha was unsuccessfully proposed for a change to Siddhartha Gautama, then successfully changed to The Buddha, and is being proposed for a change to Buddha. Your input and expertise would be most welcome at: Talk:The_Buddha#Requested_move_25_November_2022 Best, Fowler&fowler«Talk» 04:47, 27 November 2022 (UTC)

Requested move at Talk:Pakistani Taliban#Requested move 11 October 2022

There is a requested move discussion at Talk:Pakistani Taliban#Requested move 11 October 2022 that may be of interest to members of this WikiProject. —usernamekiran (talk) 12:53, 9 December 2022 (UTC)