Rebellious Afghan taxi drivers defy ban on music

LOW VOLUME ONLY: Afghan taxi driver Roeen said he sees listening to music in a country where many forms of entertainment are outlawed as a form of protest

Taxi drivers in Afghanistan are turning on the tunes in their cars, defying a ban imposed by the Taliban government despite the fear of getting caught by morality police.

The music that used to flow constantly out of restaurants, cafes and shops in Kabul has been muted for five years, replaced only by religious or patriotic songs supported by the Taliban authorities.

However, taxi drivers such as Roeen have started playing Afghan and regional folk or pop music, which they quickly turn off when security forces might be around.

An Afghan taxi driver transports passengers in Kabul on Monday last week, in a taxi with a stereo.

Photo: AFP

“At every checkpoint we pass, we lower the volume of the music or even turn it off completely... so I don’t get into trouble with them,” said Roeen, who gave only his first name for security reasons.

The ban on music in public places is imposed by the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice Ministry, whose morality police roam the city wearing long white coats.

Regulations state that “since music is forbidden and causes annoyance to passengers, drivers must refrain from playing or listening to it.”

The ministry did not respond when asked to comment on punishments Afghans face for playing music, but those breaching other rules risk being jailed.

Roeen said ministry officials have “a lot of authority.”

“We’re definitely too afraid of them to be able to listen to music at a higher volume,” he said, adding that he has “become 10 times more interested in music” since the ban.

“I have to make sure that even if I can’t listen in the early morning, by eight o’clock my music is on,” Roeen said.

In a country where various forms of entertainment including cinema are outlawed, listening to music constantly is a “form of protest” for the 28-year-old driver.

Another taxi driver, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said he only listens to music when he is alone in his car and surrounded by the noise of other vehicles.

“Before, whenever a person wanted, they could listen without any worry or stress. But now... personally I listen — but with some stress,” he said in his car that had a radio player with a USB slot.

He has been stopped twice at checkpoints for having a USB stick and a memory card.

“I didn’t lie — I said it has music, and they broke it,” he said. “Afghan culture should not vanish, and music is one of the cultures of our people. Personally, I don’t want this culture to disappear.”

As part of their crackdown on banned music, the ministry occasionally report burning instruments. No figures are available on how many they have seized.

Across the capital, residents use shared taxis as an affordable way to get around a city which lacks a proper public transport system.

Often, two passengers sit alongside the driver in the front, three are in the back, and sometimes someone rides in the open boot.

“I prefer to listen to music every day; whenever I go to any destination, I try to check if the taxi has a music player,” student Shamsullah Ahmad said. “I prefer music in the car, because wearing headphones would be noticed, but in the car, even with lower volume is better than nothing.”

The morality police have been known to take headphones out of Afghans’ ears to check if they are listening to music.

Roeen said he misses the days when “we could listen to songs, dance, and celebrate, and no one would stop us,” but now the city is “shrouded in darkness — a darkness devoid of any light.”