Afghanistan Music

Mr. Minister, Mr. Ghani, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to represent the United States today. On October 7, when Operation Enduring Freedom began, it was difficult to imagine what a future Afghanistan would look like. Decades of conflict had destroyed Afghanistan's political, economic, and social fabric; despair and hopelessness had taken hold. Six months later, a new Afghanistan - one that does not provide safe haven to terrorists and traffickers, one that respects human rights and values its women and girls, one that is committed to educating its children - is taking shape. With music in the street, hope has returned. ... [Read More]

The Taliban's War Against Women

Good morning.  I'm Laura Bush, and I'm delivering this week's radio address to kick off a world-wide effort to focus on the brutality against women and children by the al-Qaida terrorist network and the regime it supports in Afghanistan, the Tablian. That regime is now in retreat across much of the country, and the people of Afghanistan -- especially women -- are rejoicing. Afghan women know, through hard experience, what the rest of the world is discovering: The brutal oppression of women is a central goal of the terrorists. Long before the current war began, the Taliban and its terrorist allies were making the lives of children and women in Afghanistan miserable. Seventy percent of the Afghan people are malnourished. One in every four children won't live past the age of five because health care is not available. Women have been denied access to doctors when they'r ... [Read More]

Afghan Donor Conference Video

[sound up music montage graph 3 of “Rebuilding Afghanistan” – no narration or titles] (20-30”) ...

[Video: music montage faces] ... [Read More]

Afghanistan

In 1998 the Taliban prohibited television sets, satellite dishes, videocassette recorders, videocassettes, and audio cassettes as part of an effort to ban music, television, and movies (see Section 2.a.).  The ban continues, although televisions reportedly are widely sold, and their use generally is ignored unless reported by a neighbor (see Section 2.a.).  ...

The Taliban continues to prohibit music, movies, and television on religious grounds in Taliban-controlled areas.  In 1998 television sets, videocassette recorders, videocassettes, audiocassettes, and satellite dishes were outlawed in order to enforce the prohibition.  However, subsequent reports indicate that many persons in urban areas around the country own such electronic devices despite the ban (see Section 1.f. and 2.a.). ... [Read More]

Afghanistan

The Taliban prohibited music, movies, and television on religious grounds. In August 1998, television sets, videocassettes, videocassette recorders, audiocassettes, and satellite dishes were outlawed in order to enforce the prohibition. The ban continued during most of the year, although televisions reportedly were sold widely, and their use generally was ignored unless reported by a neighbor (see Section 2.a.). By year's end after the AIA took office, televisions, radios and other electronic goods were sold freely, and music was played widely. ... [Read More]

Afghanistan

There were a few reports that government forces prohibited music, movies, and television on religious grounds. For example, in January, the Supreme Court briefly stopped a television station from airing female singers. The Government lifted the ban in late January, saying female singers on television were permitted under the new Constitution. In April, officials in Nangarhar Province briefly banned the performance of female singers on television and radio; however, this decision was reversed a few days later. The central Government has not banned any form of media, although there was a brief ban on cable television in early 2003. Cable operators provided a wide variety of channels, including Western movie and music channels. The Government did not restrict the ownership of satellite dishes by private citizens. ... [Read More]

Afghanistan

There were a few reports in 2002 that government forces prohibited music, movies, and television on religious grounds. For example, in August 2002 the head of Kabul Radio and TV Engineer Eshq, who was affiliated with Jamiat-I Islami, briefly banned the appearance of women singers on television. In January 2003, the Supreme Court banned cable television nationwide on religious grounds, but the ban was subsequently lifted when the government passed a law in April allowing the resumption of cable services. There were continued reports in 2003 of prohibitions at the local level, but the central government has not banned any form of media. During the period covered by this report, women singers were not allowed on public television or radio, and the cable television audience in urban centers continued to expand. Unlike previous years, televisions, radios, and other electronic goods were sold freely, and music was played widely. For example, Kabul had five radio stations, including the offic ... [Read More]

Afghanistan

There were a few reports that government forces prohibited music, movies, and television on religious grounds. In January, the Supreme Court banned cable television, calling its content offensive to the moral values of Islamic society. Following an April inquiry by the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture, the Government eased the ban on most news and sports cable broadcasters–such as BBC, Al-Jazerra, and CNN–but prohibited cable operators from airing Western movie and music channels. At year's end, the government continued to debate which foreign and domestic cable operators will receive broadcast licenses. The Government did not restrict the ownership of satellite dishes by private citizens. However, authorities in Pagham and Shakar Dara arrested and beat musicians and persons dancing. Further, the Government banned the appearance of women singers on television or radio (see Section 5). However, televisions, radios, and other electronic goods were sold freely, and ... [Read More]

Afghanistan

There were a few reports that government forces at local levels prohibited music, movies, and television on religious grounds. For example, in April officials in Nangarhar Province briefly banned the appearance of women singers on television;however, the officials’ superiors reversed their prohibition. On January 14, Kabul Television broadcast a female singer for the first time in more than a decade, prompting protests from conservatives in the Supreme Court who briefly forced the station to stop airing such performances. Moderates in the Government lifted that ban in late January, saying women singers on television were permitted under the new Constitution. Previously, in January 2003, the Supreme Court banned cable television nationwide on religious grounds, but the ban was lifted in April 2003 when the Government passed a law allowing the resumption of cable services. The central Government has not banned any form of media, and the cable television audience in urban cen ... [Read More]