RASC News Agency: When artists in a nation are enchained, it signifies that the inhabitants of that nation are entrapped in the shackles of existence. Since the global abandonment of Afghanistan to the Taliban two years ago, local artists have faced severe persecution. Unfortunately, bereft of substantial international support, they stand isolated as the unrelenting tyranny of the Taliban persistently strives to eradicate the final remnants of creative expression.
In a society where art should flourish, the Taliban deems it perilous, provocative, and menacing. Art embodies the potency of protest and resistance, reflecting the recollection of what Afghanistan once was and what it still has the potential to become—a realm of art. Art serves as a mirror distinctly reflecting the Taliban’s actions, spotlighting their concentration on a narrow-minded, misogynistic, and violent theocratic government—a stark departure from the contrived and hollow vestments of the new emperor. Art sustains the prospect and optimism for the future in Afghanistan.
Considering the reports on the Taliban’s obliteration of art, it is noteworthy that a terrorist group systematically indoctrinates millions of Afghanistani youth without encountering any opposition to its violent ideology. While women are categorically barred from entering schools, men are perceived merely as religious students whom the Taliban can deploy as suicide bombers or militia members executing their unreasoning will. This presents a perilous threat not only to the region but to the entire world, as manifested by our experience on September 11, and regrettably, we are poised to witness it again.
Seven years ago, I established “ArtLords” in Kabul, a collective of artists creating murals on social issues in collaboration with local communities. People, fatigued by years of war and violence, were so enervated and disheartened that they had relinquished the quest for solutions. We illuminated the fact that they possess a voice and encouraged them to pose questions and offer criticism.
The outcome resembled lighting a candle in the darkness. Empowered by a newfound voice, people swiftly garnered the audacity to engage with their culture and effect change to disrupt the cycle of violence and cultural destitution. This unequivocally demonstrated that when people subjected to oppression find an opportunity to interact with their culture and institute change to break the cycle of violence and cultural impoverishment, they seize it.
Despite our apprehensions, we collectively exposed governmental corruption, adorned the residences of warlords culpable for the deaths of innocents with murals, and advocated for peace, gender equality, and human rights. Blast-resistant walls were erected across Kabul to shield those deemed worthy from explosions. Through the creation of 2,200 murals, we transformed the unsightliness and unworthiness of elitism into a shared mural of beauty and resistance, emblematic of a Renaissance era.
Regrettably, that epoch has now vanished entirely, and artistic expression in Afghanistan is criminalized. The Taliban punishes our artists, obliterates our art, and eradicates our cultural heritage. Women and girls are barred from pursuing education or careers in art. Cultural venues are razed, museums, galleries, and art-supporting institutions shuttered, and artists find themselves subjected to public humiliation, arrest, arbitrary detention, and extrajudicial killings.
The Taliban group lashed wedding guests in the presence of music, tortured and apprehended musicians. Nazar mohammad Komedy was killed by Taliban authorities while filming, and subsequently, his body was discovered tethered to a tree. Two prominent Afghanistani writers and members of PEN Afghanistan fell victim to the Taliban authorities, and Abdulatefi Poet, a renowned historian, endured torture and met a tragic end within his residence.
