RASC News Agency: Credible reports indicate that the Taliban’s morality police are allegedly soliciting bribes from musicians and event organizers in exchange for allowing music and dancing at social gatherings. It is further claimed that hotels are being permitted to play music if they pay these officers. A source from Mazar-e-Sharif, who attended a wedding ceremony, revealed: “The morality police demanded five thousand Kabul rupees to permit music and dancing; otherwise, it was strictly prohibited.” According to the source, Taliban morality officers have repeatedly granted such permissions in Mazar-e-Sharif after receiving bribes.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, described an incident on Saturday, December 28. During the wedding celebration, a group of young men close friends of the groom played music and began dancing and clapping in the hall. Shortly after, Taliban morality police arrived and abruptly interrupted the festivities, barring the groom and his friends from continuing their celebrations. Initially, the Taliban officers were hostile, the source recounted, but their demeanor softened as discussions ensued. When the groom tried to reason with them, one officer reportedly stated that the event could proceed, including music and dancing, if a payment of five thousand Kabul rupees was made. The groom firmly refused, declaring: “I will neither pay you nor dance.”
This incident is not an isolated one. Reports from other regions suggest that Taliban officers have frequently demanded payments from grooms to permit music and dancing at wedding ceremonies. Since their return to power, the Taliban has imposed a blanket ban on playing or broadcasting music in public and private spaces, including weddings, taxis, restaurants, and even homes. The controversial “Morality and Prevention of Vice” law, ratified in August by Taliban Supreme Leader Hebatullah Akhundzada, grants morality officers sweeping authority to interrogate and monitor citizens anywhere, under the pretense of enforcing religious norms.
