The Taliban killed an Afghan folk singer just days after stating that they would ban music from being played in public places, former Afghan Minister of Interior Masoud Andarabi said in a tweet on Saturday.
Fawad Andarabi was “brutally killed” in the village of Andarab, according to the former minister, near the Panjshir Valley that harbors a resistance force rejecting Taliban rule.
Taliban’s brutality continues in Andarab. Today they brutally killed folkloric singer, Fawad Andarabi who simply was brining joy to this valley and its people. As he sang here “our beautiful valley….land of our forefathers…” will not submit to Taliban’s brutality. pic.twitter.com/3Jc1DnpqDH
— Masoud Andarabi (@andarabi) August 28, 2021
The extremist group has banned playing music in public, with Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reportedly telling the New York Times that music is prohibited in Islam.
“Music is forbidden in Islam, but we’re hoping that we can persuade people not to do such things, instead of pressuring them,” Mujahid told the New York Times.
Although the group has taken a softer tone publicly when compared to their 1996-2001 rule, there are fears of a return to a repressive regime.
Afghan pop singer Aryana Sayeed posted on Instagram on August 21 saying that she had managed to flee the country and was en-route to Istanbul.
Mujahid also told women and children to stay home in a press conference Tuesday, saying that Taliban fighters were not trained to ensure their safety.
The directive undermined efforts by the group to present a more tolerant front, bringing back memories of their first rule in which women were restricted from going to work and leaving the house.
Source: Al Arabiya
