Amu: Taliban collected and burned dozens of musical instruments in the eastern province of Nangarhar, saying the move was aimed at enforcing Islamic principles and reforming society. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on music, banning it from public events, weddings, radio and television broadcasts, and many public
By Firuza Azizi and Farangis Najibullah Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 13, 2025 A popular Afghan singer has been missing for more than a month in Kabul, where she shot to fame with her performance on a popular television talent show nearly a decade ago. Zulala Hashimi’s husband says she left home on June 4
8am: Local Taliban officials in Takhar have reported that five individuals have been arrested in the province for playing music. Nizamuddin Umair, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s provincial police command in Takhar, stated on Saturday, 21 June 2025, that these individuals are residents of Taloqan, the capital of Takhar. Click here to read more (external
Afghanistan International: According to local Taliban officials, at least 109 musical instruments were collected over the past several months from various celebratory gatherings and subsequently burned. On Monday, officials in Alingar released images showing the public incineration of the items, which included drums (daff), guitars, loudspeakers, and other musical equipment. Click here to read more
By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal, Wasim Sajjad, Muhammad Zawar and Will Tizard April 19, 2025 When the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021, they quickly banned music, declaring it un-Islamic. Musicians faced threats, raids, and the destruction of their instruments. “Our homes were searched for what we had there,” says Faiz Muhammad Sakhki, an Afghan musician
Amu: As the Eid al-Fitr holiday approaches, Taliban authorities in the northeastern province of Badakhshan have issued a directive imposing a new set of restrictions on public behavior, including bans on music, women’s attire, and even customary Eid house visits. In a letter titled “Prohibitions for Eid Days,” the Directorate for the Promotion of Virtue
Ayaz Gul VOA News January 10, 2025 ISLAMABAD — A high court in Pakistan prohibited authorities Friday from forcibly deporting Afghan musicians and singers until their asylum cases are resolved within the next two months. The ruling comes amid a crackdown on hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighboring Afghanistan who either lack legal permits to
AFP: Musicians play behind closed doors despite a ban on music in Afghanistan and a maker of stringed instrument the rubab refuses to down tools. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: The Taliban in Kabul has banned the broadcast of music in the media. The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced on Thursday that the ministry’s ombudsman met with media representatives in Kabul and asked them to refrain from broadcasting music. Previously, the Taliban had banned media outlets from
The Taliban announced in August that it had destroyed over 20,000 musical instruments in Afghanistan in the past year. The extremist group considers instruments un-Islamic and permits only unaccompanied singing. In interviews with RFE/RL, an exiled Afghan musician condemned the move, while the head of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music said, “Music was the