In Afghanistan the Taliban are Burning Musical Instruments

Representatives of the ultra-radical Islamist movement Taliban set fire to musical instruments, stating that music 'causes moral corruption.'

This was reported by BBC.

It is reported that guitars, accordions, drums (tabla), amplifiers, and speakers were burned in Herat. Most of the instruments and equipment were confiscated by the Taliban from wedding venues across the city.

A representative of the Taliban's Ministry of Vice and Virtue stated that playing musical instruments 'diverts youth from the true path.'

Ahmad Sarmast, the founder of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, now residing in Portugal, called the destruction of instruments in the western province of Herat 'cultural genocide and musical vandalism.'

'The people of Afghanistan are deprived of creativity... The burning of musical instruments in Herat is just a small example of the cultural genocide taking place in Afghanistan under the Taliban's rule,' emphasized Sarmast in an interview with the BBC.

The Taliban's policy of banning music in Afghanistan began in the mid-90s. Back then, the country prohibited playing music during public gatherings, on television, and on the radio. In 2001, when the Taliban was overthrown, the right to listen to music was restored.

After the suppression of the Afghan government and the return of the Taliban to power in 2021, most musicians left the country, and those who remained face daily discrimination, persecution, and physical violence.

During the last two years, Afghanistan has witnessed radical restrictions on basic human rights and freedoms.

One of the most persecuted and vulnerable social groups is women. For example, the Taliban regime deprived women of the right to work in many public spheres, required them to wear burqas - a garment covering everything except the eyes, and limited their travel without a male escort to distances greater than 72 km.

It is also worth noting that last week, a law banning beauty salons and hairdressers for women across the country came into effect in Afghanistan.

After the regime's return, these places were the last public establishments where women could be without men and freely communicate with each other.

Furthermore, this decision by the Taliban will lead to unprecedented unemployment among women. As a result of the closure of 12,000 salons, more than 60,000 female employees will lose their jobs, significantly impacting Afghanistan's already devastated economy.

Uncontrolled and inhumane restrictions on basic human rights and freedoms are characteristic of many dictatorial and authoritarian regimes.

For example, the Russian occupation administration in the seized territories of Ukraine restricts access to medical services and food for Ukrainians if they refuse to obtain Russian citizenship by force. Ukrainian books and textbooks are also massively confiscated and burned in schools and libraries in the occupied cities.