The Taliban who rule Afghanistan have just incinerated hundreds of musical instruments they seized in recent months in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and several of its provinces. Afghanistan’s Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice tweeted on July 19 that the equipment had been destroyed in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law.

It argues that music has caused “corruption” and “the loss of our youth and the decline of society.”

The Taliban are reactionary Muslims who strongly oppose most music, believing musical instruments to be evil devices forbidden by Islamic law.