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Schoolgirls in the Afghan region of Nangarhar
Photo: GHULAMULLAH HABIBI / EPA
In Afghanistan, schoolgirls older than twelve should no longer be allowed to sing at public events in the future.
As reported by the Afghan broadcaster »Tolo News«, among others, the decision goes back to the Ministry of Education.
The dpa news agency reported a letter in which the school authorities in the capital Kabul instructed schools to implement the directive.
The only exceptions are ceremonies that are attended exclusively by women.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education confirmed the authenticity of the letter to dpa.
Such a regulation exists for all provinces of the country.
Ministry justifies measures with a lack of time
The ministry justified the measure in a video message.
It says that parents and students have asked for it - the volume of lessons is too extensive for them, they have no time to perform songs.
In the future, the singing should be taken over by the lower school levels.
The fact that only girls are affected by the ban was not addressed in the video message.
In Afghanistan, it is common for schoolchildren to sing songs or hymns at festive ceremonies for anniversaries or when visiting local or national politicians.
According to »Tolo News«, critics of the singing ban see the move as a curtailment of women's rights.
Step is reminiscent of earlier Taliban measures
The move may also be a concession to the radical Islamist Taliban, with whom the Afghan government has been holding peace talks in Doha for weeks.
Under Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001, singing and listening to music were banned in Afghanistan, and women were banned from attending schools and universities.
According to the dpa, the Ministry of Education had repeatedly attracted attention with very conservative proposals that led to controversy.
Again and again, the ministry had to withdraw proposals.
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fek / dpa
