The Taliban just set a pile of musical instruments on fire to teach Afghanistan a lesson
When the Taliban first overran Afghanistan, they immediately began implementing their ultra-strict interpretation of Sharia law. All music–except for a specific type of devotional music–was banned. Musical instruments were seized and tape pulled from cassettes.
Later, when the Americans moved in and the Taliban retreated, one of the first things that returned to society was music: live, recorded, and broadcast.
But after the Americans pulled out two summers, things are back to the bad old days. The Taliban hate music, calling it “haram” or un-Islamic. The only acceptable music is something called “Nasheeds,” which are militant songs that glorify war and jihad. Everything else is forbidden.
To make their point, the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in the western province of Herat rounded up some seized musical instruments–everything from guitars to harmonicas to sound systems–and set everything on fire. This follows a similar burning in Kabul earlier in July.
In a statement, the ministry claimed that musical instruments create “vanity among the youth and corruption in the society in Afghanistan.” They handed out this photo.
Read more at Vice.
