Authorities in northern Afghanistan have arrested 14 individuals for playing musical instruments and singing activities restricted under Taliban rule since their return to power in 2021.
The arrests took place Thursday night in Takhar province’s capital, according to a police statement released Saturday. The group reportedly gathered in a private residence to play music and sing, an act the authorities claimed caused public disturbance.
Since seizing control, the Taliban have imposed increasingly strict interpretations of Islamic law, including a sweeping crackdown on music in public and private life. Music schools have been shut down, instruments destroyed, and radio and television stations silenced from playing songs.
Although music is banned at public events and in venues like restaurants and wedding halls, some women’s gatherings continue to play music discreetly. Many Afghan musicians have either fled the country or abandoned their careers amid the clampdown.
The Taliban now promote unaccompanied vocal chants and Islamic poetry as acceptable alternatives to music, echoing their policies from their previous rule between 1996 and 2001.
