The Taliban has destroyed more than 21,000 musical instruments and tens of thousands of CDs containing “immoral films” over the past year, Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said Tuesday.
The revelation came from a spokesman for the office, who said on the sidelines of an event that 21,328 musical instruments had been destroyed as part of a campaign against music, which the Taliban considers to be inconsistent with its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Sheikh Mohibullah Mukhlis added that more than 30,000 CDs containing “immoral” films were also destroyed, and 25,000 telecommunications workers were suspended from work for distributing “obscene films.”
Ahmad Sarmast, Director of the Afghan National Institute of Music, 2011
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This “anti-addiction” campaign in Afghanistan, which led the Taliban to order the beheading of models, among other measures, also involved “visiting” tens of thousands of restaurants, wedding halls and hotels to make sure no music was playing in their rooms.
Afghan musicians regularly used instruments such as the timbali, guitar or rabab (similar to the oud) to entertain at weddings and musical programs, until they were banned with the Taliban’s rise to power in August 2021.
The Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law has also placed restrictions on women’s freedom in Afghanistan, with women unable to access higher education and, among other restrictions, restricted movement and access to work.
During the previous Taliban regime, which lasted from 1996 to 2001, the fundamentalists banned music and imposed severe punishments on anyone who worked as a musician, forcing many professional artists to flee.
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