Ron Synovitz RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi October 13, 2021 Ahmad Gholami, a 25-year-old Afghan musician, had dedicated his life to the art of playing a sitar-like lute called the tanbur. But after nearly a decade mastering the instrument well enough to earn his living as a professional musician, the Taliban has banned music under its tribal
CNN: This is not the first time the Taliban has taken a stand against the arts in Afghanistan. When the Taliban was last in power, from 1996 to 2001, the regime defaced public paintings and destroyed cultural heritage sites around the country. In 1996, members machine-gunned an iconic fountain in the city of Herat, in
IndieWire: During the Taliban’s rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, women and girls were shut out of public life, punishments took the form of public executions, and media was banned. That made the archives of the state-run Afghan Film — featuring scenes of women with their hair uncovered and other vignettes of the country’s
In Nimroz Province in southern Afghanistan, archaeologists are working to preserve a number of ancient buildings that are at risk of total collapse. They appear to have the support of local Taliban officials. But a recent video showing the demolition of a historical fort has raised concerns that Taliban leaders might return to former
Seattle Times: The last time that the militant group ruled the country, in the late 1990s, it outright banned music. So far this time, the government set up by the Taliban hasn’t taken that step officially. But already, musicians are afraid a ban will come, and some Taliban fighters on the ground have started enforcing
"Afghan life is all about color." Afghan women are posting photos of their colorful traditional dress, to challenge the all-black, fully covered image propagated by the Taliban. pic.twitter.com/52jbIcuXjg — DW News (@dwnews) September 13, 2021
Habibullah Shabab found his calling as a singer — but since the Taliban’s return to power, he’s given up performing and instead makes a living as a shopkeeper. The Taliban has not yet imposed a ban on music as it did in the 1990s, but Shabab and others fear such a policy is imminent,
Haroon Bacha Abubakar Siddique Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 29, 2021 Young musician Ahmad Khan says doomsday arrived for him when the hard-line Taliban movement overran the Afghan capital, Kabul — the conclusion of a dramatic sweep across the war-torn country that saw Afghanistan’s pro-Western government melt away. Khan — using a pseudonym for security
Taliban going door to door looking for government employees, taking down names/addresses, disarming people, taking them away, beating musicians, destroying instruments, etc. Taliban fighters beating musicians and destroying their instruments as they go door-to-door searching peoples’ homes in #Kabul, several residents told me. History repeating itself. Taliban banned music during its brutal former regime. —
Ariana: A well-known local comedian, Nazar Mohammad, who was known as Khasha Jawan, was gunned down on Tuesday, allegedly by the Taliban, in Kandahar, sparking widespread condemnation. According to sources, Khasha Jawan was assaulted by the militants before being killed. Click here to read more (external link).