Afghanistan: Taliban 'sentences TV to death,' destroys scores of musical instruments

After Kabul befell the hardline Islamist faction Taliban, the group had assured Afghans of "freedom" and that there was "no need to flee the country." "Don’t be scared," Afghan TV presenter of a political debate programme told the public as at least eight armed Taliban men surrounded him LIVE on camera. Now, the so-called Taliban that pledged press freedom and "no threats" for TV crew was seen forcing a man to take an oath to “never watch TV” again. And then, the Taliban sentenced a TV to death. 

The incident occurred on Wednesday, 29 December in Afghanistan and has rattled the Afghan population. The now-viral footage, first shared by a Pakistani journalist, Hamza Azhar Salam, is doing rounds on the internet and shows Taliban members terrorising households across the central Asian country that was exited by the US troops in August on orders of President Joe Biden as his foreign policy required American forces stationed in Kabul to finally abandon 20-year war and "come home". 

'Not permissible in Sharia'

In the chilling video, the Taliban that has enforced strict sharia law for governance after the political takeover is seen forcing a man to take an oath that he would never watch TV again. This is purportedly due to the belief among the Islamist extremists that it is not permissible in sharia (Islamic law) to watch TV. The Taliban men are seen smashing a television set and destroying scores of musical instruments including harmonium as it is "haram" [forbidden] in Islam. Pakistani journalist Hamza Azhar Salam who first shared the footage appeared to normalise the behaviour as he stressed that "things can change in future."

While the Taliban’s act wasn’t condemned, Salam reiterated that the incident was similar to what maulvis [Islamic religious scholars] practised in Pakistan. “They were also against TV, Radio, and other modes of entertainment before they jumped on the bandwagon and now benefit from these platforms,” he said. “Taliban may do the same in due course,” he wrote, sharing the disturbing footage. It remains unclear whether the musical instruments destroyed were lifted from music shops across Afghanistan or that if the owners were punished too. 

As one of the Taliban men shattered the instruments to pieces by smashing them against the ground, others armed were seen cheering and filming the entire incident. In another footage, the Taliban is seen harassing an Afghan man to promise that he wouldn’t watch TV again, and then they smash the set in what is being reported as a "field court" where execution of TV was carried out. Taliban apparently pronounced their judgment and sentenced the TV to death.

Natiq Malikzada from Afghanistan first shared the footage, and it has now sparked a widespread backlash. The Taliban labels the television and other modes of entertainment as "haram" or anti-Islamic, although does not seem to have issues with social media or the internet. 

Taliban uploads YouTube videos, lambasts Facebook for curtailing 'right to freedom' of speech, expression

As the Taliban sieged the country post US withdrawal, a spokesperson for the faction uploaded at least five videos to his official YouTube page celebrating and congratulating each other. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the Taliban featured in a video as he posed in front of senior officials in a curtained office. The hardline Islamist faction also instated their presence on social media and lambasted Facebook [now Meta] CEO Mark Zuckerberg for removing user accounts linked to Taliban. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid ranted about Facebook demeaning the Islamic group’s democratic “right to freedom” of speech and expression. 

Mujahid complained about not being able to post on Facebook and the photo-sharing app Instagram. But Taliban has lodged strong resentment against Afghans for using modes of entertainment forbidden under Sharia law. In September, the shocking visuals similarly emerged from Kabul's National Music Institute as the Taliban destroyed musical instruments including piano and drum sets. They also reportedly broke into the headquarters of an all-female orchestra and caused the destruction of musical instruments. The images were posted by singer Aryan Khan on his now-deleted Twitter account that depicted damaged piano and shattered drums.

Under the Taliban rule, music and entertainment are banned and women are not allowed to work or study and are permitted to leave the house only when a male relative accompanied them. Students and staff at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) and other musical schools fear for their lives as their premises have gone "silent" since the Taliban's takeover.