Can singers, filmmakers in Afghanistan do their job? Taliban spokesman answers

As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last week and ousted the Ashraf Ghani-led government, the Islamist insurgents started attacking civilians, singers and filmmakers, HT’s sister publication, Livehindustan, said in a report on Wednesday.

Last month, the Taliban admitted to killing comedian Fazal Mohammad, popularly known as ‘Khasha Zwan’. According to news agency AFP, Khasha Zwan was also a police officer and was stationed in southern Kandahar province. “He was not a comedian, he fought against us in several battles. He had tried to flee when we detained him, prompting our gunmen to kill him,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP on July 29.

Now, the Taliban gave an order to all the singers and filmmakers in the war-raved country. On Tuesday, Mujahid was asked whether the Taliban would allow the artists to continue with their work. Mujahid answered that singers and filmmakers will have to switch their profession if assessed against the Shariah.

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Over the past few days, many prominent filmmakers and singers in Afghanistan left their home country in the aftermath of the Taliban's siege of Kabul. Aryana Sayeed, a pop star, who had a harrowing escape from the capital city, told news agency ANI on Tuesday that there is no future for women under the Taliban’s rule and urged them to treat civilians in a more humane manner.

“I am worried for women who will be stuck inside houses and they will not be given their basic rights. While out, they will need to have a male relative accompanying them. They won’t be allowed to go to school,” she said.

Sahraa Karimi, one of Afghanistan’s most popular women filmmakers and the first woman to head the state-run Afghan Film Organization, who also escaped from the country, shared a nine-minute-long video on her Instagram profile on August 15, where she was seen running on a street in Kabul amid the mayhem. She said that the Taliban don’t support art or value culture, and stressed they are afraid of educated and independent women.

The Taliban, meanwhile, claimed that they will respect women’s rights within the framework of the Islamic law and also urged them to join their government.

(With agency inputs)