As Afghanistan Adjusts to Taliban Rule, Music Goes Silent

EVEN before the last U.S. flight left Kabul at midnight on Monday, many of the bright and garish sights and sounds of city life in Afghanistan were changing as those left behind tried to fit in with the austere tone of their new Taliban rulers.

The Taliban have so far been at pains to show a more conciliatory face to the world, with none of the harsh public punishments and outright bans on public entertainments that characterized their previous time in power before 2001.

Cultural activities are allowed, they say, so long as they do not go against Sharia law and Afghanistan’s Islamic culture.

Taliban authorities in Kandahar, the birthplace of the movement issued a formal order against radio stations playing music and female announcers last week but for many, no formal order was necessary.

Already, colourful signs outside beauty parlours have been painted over, jeans have been replaced by