Taliban Authorities Burn Musical Instruments

Taliban officials have burned dozens of musical instruments in Afghanistan a few days after shutting down beauty salons. 

According to AFP, the Taliban closed beauty salons because they offered services forbidden by Islam and caused economic hardships.

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The nation’s vice ministry department claimed that music caused “moral corruption”.

Aziz al-Rahman al-Muhajir, the head of the Herat Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, said that “promoting music leads to moral corruption and would misguide the youth”.

Images surfaced on Saturday showing Taliban officials overseeing a bonfire where musical instruments and equipment were set ablaze. 

Most of these instruments had been collected from wedding halls in the Herat province.

This recent move is part of a broader pattern of the Taliban imposing strict laws and regulations based on their austere interpretation of Islam. 

Since taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they have implemented a ban on playing music in public spaces.

Students and teachers of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music have not returned to classes since the Taliban takeover.

The Taliban previously promised to allow for women’s and minority rights. However, they reintroduced tighter restrictions in line with their interpretation of Islamic Law.

Teenage girls and women have been banned from schools and universities and are also prohibited from most forms of employment.

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