It seems rather unbelievable, but within Islamist circles it is stated Islam is against music.  This despite songs praising both Muhammad and Islam created many centuries ago.

In Waziristan where the Taliban and Al Qaida have taken a foothold, local tribes have a long history of holding festivals where music is played and there is dancing.  The tribes in the region were later ‘introduced’ to Islam after the musical culture had been sewn.

Just how much the Taliban and Al Qaida have influenced the Waziristan region is not entirely known, however with Pashtun folk music, it might be possible to find out the day the music died.

One such example is that of Kamal Mehsud, a leading Pashto folk singer, who left South Waziristan for two years ago because of growing intolerance.

He sold his ancestral property in Tank district and kept on moving from place to place in the hope of finding a niche. “Constant suppression of artistes suffocated me, and I felt like leaving the place. Besides, lawlessness has brought with it fear and frustration,” said Mehsud, who is known for singing folk songs on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The singer was warned by his well-wishers to leave the region after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a mouthpiece of the Pakistani armed forces, distributed his music albums free of cost among the tribal people. The albums contained songs against extremism and militancy, which were produced under a contract with the ISPR.

The people of the area have not only stopped going to public music shows, they have also forsaken their traditional dance, Attan, which was equally popular among Pashtun men and women.

The dance is performed in a large circle with drummers standing in the centre. Attan was a traditional means of fun for the people in the most conservative Pashtun tribal society.

“The people have forgotten folk music or traditional dances in Waziristan since the emergence of Taliban,” said a tribal artiste, who observed that holding music functions on weddings has become a thing of the past even in the adjacent Tank district.

Many music shops have been closed down in Wana, Jandola and Tank district for fear of the militant groups after some outlets were blown up in the area.

The remaining music shops now sell audio-cassettes and CDs of jihadi songs, movies of suicide attacks and footage of militant training. Even, the official radio station in Wana cannot broadcast music and songs.

Mohammad Nawaz, a music shop owner, closed his business in Tank and shifted to the provincial headquarters.

“My family is associated with this business for the past 30 years, but now the situation has forced me to leave the place,” Nawaz said.

The Taliban drove the suicide donkey to the mud-walled compounds, but the compound doors were closed.  And them good old Pashtun were drinking tea and water, singing this’ll be the day that I died.  This’ll be the day that I die.

The Taliban has allowed songs to continue that praise jihad, the Taliban, Al Qaida or Islamism.  There is music in every single one of Al Qaida’s propoganda videos, yet it’s their kind of music.  Yet we cannot consider these groups or this movement a form of tyranny, becuase they are just misunderstood under the pressure of the crusading West.