Wednesday, 07/19/2023, The Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue has announced that it has collected and set fire to musical instruments in several provinces, including Herat. The ministry tweeted Saturday (July 18) that the collected tools were destroyed "in accordance with Sharia law" and then burned. When the Taliban came to power, they banned music in Afghanistan and have banned music from being broadcast in the media. In a tweet, the Taliban's Ministry of Virtue Promotion called the promotion of music "corruption" and blamed playing music for the lack of direction of the youth and the destruction of society. The organization that implements the Taliban's policies added that it had collected the burned instruments from various ceremonies. "Taliban members go to celebrations in the capital and provinces of Afghanistan, preventing people from playing and playing music, and breaking musical instruments.

The Taliban’s public destruction of musical instruments across several provinces, including Herat, marks an aggressive enforcement of their long-standing ban on music, which they consider contrary to their interpretation of Sharia law. By framing music as a source of moral decay and youth misguidance, the Taliban are attempting to reshape cultural life through religious authoritarianism. This act not only suppresses Afghanistan’s rich musical heritage but also violates international human rights norms related to freedom of expression, cultural rights, and personal autonomy. The use of force to enter private ceremonies and destroy property further reflects a broader climate of fear and coercion, aimed at silencing dissent and enforcing conformity through intimidation rather than law