Fear of Music

Elements still trying to ban music in Afghanistan resort to violence – it may be the police:

Two people were killed and dozens wounded when two hand grenades were thrown into a wedding party at a popular picnic spot northwest of Kabul, police and state television reported on Saturday.

Kabul Television said the incident happened on Friday night in the village of Murgh Geran, in Paghman district, about 12 miles from the capital.

A police officer in the district confirmed the incident but said it had happened the previous night. He said 30 people were wounded, but that the identity of the attackers was not known.

Kabul Television said 40 were hurt and quoted unconfirmed reports as saying that one of the dead was a singer in a band that had been playing at the wedding, while two other members of the band were wounded.

A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force charged with helping maintain security in Kabul said he was not aware of the incident. He said the district was on the edge of ISAF’s area of responsibility.

On Wednesday, a state-controlled newspaper reported that police in Shakardara district, about 10 miles from Kabul, beat two Afghan musicians and threatened to bomb their office in the capital for violating a local ban on music reminiscent of that imposed by the former Taliban regime.

The Anis Daily quoted the musicians as saying that the incident happened after policemen arrived at the party late on Monday evening.

Only in Afghanistan is the job of wedding singer a combat position.