The World Briefly
June 16, 2023The Killjoys
Afghanistan
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The Taliban’s religious police will be monitoring wedding halls in the Afghan capital Kabul to enforce a ban on playing music, the latest crackdown by the religious group against activities they consider a violation of the teachings of Islam, Al Jazeera reported.
The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice announced this week that hall owners must prohibit music at wedding parties. The music ban had initially been imposed last year but it was not heavily enforced.
Some business owners complained about the ban.
“If there is no music at a wedding, then what is the difference between a wedding ceremony and a funeral ceremony?” questioned one manager, whose name was withheld for security reasons.
For the Taliban, music is against the teachings of Islam and only the human voice should produce sound in praise of God.
During their rule from 1996 to 2001, the armed group prohibited a series of harmless activities in Afghanistan, including flying kites and watching soap operas.
Such activities made a comeback after the United States-led invasion more than 20 years ago that ousted the armed group. However, the Taliban restarted their crackdown following their return to power in 2021.
Meanwhile, Afghan women and girls have been subjected to severe restrictions, including bans on attending school or university or holding certain jobs.
In April, the Taliban closed down a women-run radio station in northeastern Afghanistan for playing music during Ramadan: It was deemed a violation of Islamic rules and regulations.
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