The Afghan Youth Orchestra has concluded their one-week tour in the UK with a message calling for an end to gender apartheid and the lifting of the music ban in Afghanistan.
Head of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music Dr Ahmad Sarmast named the tour ‘Breaking the Silence’.
“Prohibiting gender apartheid, lifting the ban on music, and restoring the musical rights of the Afghan people was the message of the Afghan Youth Orchestra’s tour across England, which concluded today,” Dr Sarmast posted on X Thursday.
The orchestra toured prominent UK cities including London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham.
Despite facing initial visa rejections from the British Home Office, public pressure led to a reversal of the decision, allowing the orchestra to proceed with its tour – and message.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, most of the orchestra members fled the country and sought asylum in Portugal.
Under Taliban rule, playing, broadcasting, and listening to music have been strictly prohibited in Afghanistan.
Many reports of musical instruments being confiscated and burned in various provinces, including Herat, Ghazni, and Kabul emerged after the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.
After the Taliban’s restrictive policies were imposed, numerous singers and musicians have been forced to leave Afghanistan or abandon their profession altogether.
