Local sources in western Herat province have reported that the Taliban is demanding money in exchange for permitting music to be played at wedding ceremonies in the province.
According to the source, the Taliban Vice and Virtue agents in the province collect money ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 Afghanis ($110 – $600) from those organizing wedding parties, in return for permitting music to be played during the events.
Homeira Qaderi, a writer and human rights advocate, in a tweet on Friday, revealed that the Taliban charged 1,000 Afghanis for each hour of music played at her relative’s wedding party in Herat province.
The Taliban have not commented regarding this practice yet.
After returning to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban announced a ban on playing music at weddings and other ceremonies in Afghanistan. Recently, the group publicly burned a large collection of musical instruments, considering them to be against Sharia law.
The Taliban has also imposed severe restrictions on musicians and artists, leading many to flee the country for safety. Those who remain are at risk of intimidation, abuse, torture, and even death. Musicians are also compelled to pledge that they will never perform music that goes against the Taliban’s ideology.
Earlier, Abdulhaq Hamad, the Taliban’s media monitoring head at the Ministry of Information and Culture, told TOLO TV that singing and playing musical instruments are viewed as acts against Sharia law. He suggested that those affected by the ban should find alternative sources of income for themselves and their families.
