Taliban bans music at weddings, Kabul halls face religious police scrutiny

Kabul’s wedding halls are set to be monitored by the Taliban’s religious police as they enforce a ban on playing music at such celebrations, claiming it goes against Islamic rulings. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice issued an online statement on Sunday, stating that hall owners were informed that music would no longer be permitted at wedding parties, as reported by the German press agency dpa.

Although the Taliban advised against music at public gatherings last year, the ruling was not strongly enforced. A Kabul festivities hall manager, who chose to remain anonymous for security reasons, questioned the ban, asking, “If there is no music at a wedding, then what is the difference between a wedding ceremony and a funeral ceremony?”

Following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, numerous artists and musicians fled Afghanistan, seeking asylum in Western countries. The group deems music to be against Islamic teachings, adhering to a strict interpretation that only the human voice should produce music, and solely in praise of God.

During its rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban outlawed various seemingly harmless activities in Afghanistan, such as kite flying, watching TV soap operas, having elaborate haircuts, and playing music. Although these activities re-emerged after the US-led invasion ousted the group, crackdowns have increased since the Taliban regained power.

Afghan women and girls have experienced the most severe restrictions, including bans on attending high schools and universities and holding many types of jobs. In April, a women-operated radio station in Afghanistan’s northeast was shut down for playing music during the holy month of Ramadan. Moezuddin Ahmadi, the director of Information and Culture in Badakhshan province, stated that this action violated the “laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate.”