Ramadan: Taliban shuts down women-run radio station for playing music

A women-run radio station in northeastern Afghanistan has been shut down by the Taliban-led government for playing music during the holy month of Ramadan, according to a report by Al-Jazeera.

Why this matters: The radio station, which has been operational for 10 years and has eight staff members, six of whom are female, is the only women-run station in the area.

Station denies playing musinc during Ramadan

The director for Information and Culture in Badakhshan province, Moezuddin Ahmadi, who is also an official in the Taliban-led government, claimed that the station violated the "laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate" several times by broadcasting songs and music during Ramadan, and was shuttered because of the breach.

The head of the station, Najia Sorosh, denied that there was any violation, saying there was no need for the closure and called the action a "conspiracy." Sorosh claims that the Taliban falsely accused the station of broadcasting music.

What is going on now...

Reports suggest that local Afghan journalists who refuse to comply with the Taliban's policies have been arrested and put behind bars, with some reporting abuse and torture after their release.

Many journalists in Afghanistan have reportedly lost their jobs after the Taliban takeover in August 2021, and many media outlets have been closed due to a lack of funds or because their staff left the country.

The recent shutdown of Sadai Banowan, which means women's voice in Dari, is viewed by human rights activists as a deliberate attempt to muzzle the press in Afghanistan.