Taliban arrests 14 for playing music and singing

Taliban authorities have arrested fourteen people in northern Afghanistan for playing musical instruments and singing, actions that have been heavily restricted since the group returned to power in 2021. 

According to a statement released by provincial police on Saturday, May 10, the arrests took place on Thursday night in the capital of northern Takhar province, where the individuals had gathered in a residential home.

The statement said the group took advantage of the nighttime to organize the gathering, during which they played instruments and sang songs, allegedly causing a disturbance to the public. The detainees are currently under investigation.

Since regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban government has gradually imposed laws and policies aligned with their strict interpretation of Islamic law. Among the most prominent of these measures is a comprehensive ban on most forms of music. This includes live performances and playing recorded music at social events, in public venues such as restaurants, in vehicles, and across broadcast media.

In the aftermath of their return to power, Taliban officials shut down music schools and destroyed musical instruments and sound systems, branding music as a source of moral corruption and public disorder. Wedding halls are now prohibited from playing music, although in some cases women in segregated sections of such events continue the practice discreetly.

Many Afghan musicians have fled the country, driven by fear and the collapse of their profession in a nation already among the poorest in the world. The Taliban has urged remaining artists to redirect their abilities toward Islamic poetry and unaccompanied vocal chants, which are among the few forms of musical expression allowed under their rule, similar to their policies during their previous regime from 1996 to 2001.