Taliban Burn Musical Instruments in Afghanistan: Reason Revealed

The local unit of the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat province, located in western Afghanistan, has burned musical instruments, sources informed RIA Novosti.

According to one source, the official representatives of the ministry declared that Islam prohibits the sale and use of musical instruments. He added that those selling musical instruments would face legal consequences.

In July, Ariana News reported that the Taliban (a group under UN sanctions for terrorist activities) destroyed several musical instruments accumulated over months in Afghanistan, claiming they "corrupt society." The ministry also stated that musical instruments lead young people astray.

Previously, the Taliban had banned playing music in vehicles and transporting women without hijabs. They also prohibited musical compositions and women's voices in media outlets in Kandahar province, while men are required to grow beards as a condition for public service employment.

In early August 2021, the Taliban intensified attacks on Afghan government forces, entered Kabul on August 15, and declared that the war was over the following day. The then-president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country.

On the night of August 31, American troops left Kabul airport, ending nearly 20 years of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. In early September, the composition of Afghanistan's interim government was announced, led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, who had served as foreign minister during the Taliban's first rule and had been under UN sanctions since 2001.