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PAKISTAN Pakistan: Punjab Assembly bans concerts in educational institutions On 24 January 2012 Punjab Assembly passed a resolution that bans holding of 'objectionable' musical concerts in educational institutions 25 January 2012 Pakistan: Music returns to some of Pakistan's tribal areas In parts of Pakistan’s tribal areas, music is starting to return, reported Free Speech Radio News in a well-produced radio report on 16 January 2012. 18 January 2012 Pakistan: Taliban campaign against music still in full swing Militants bombed or torched more than a dozen music shops in the second week of November 2011 in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province and North Waziristan 16 November 2011 Pakistan: Freemuse network will document attacks on musicians At a two day workshop held in Islamabad 12-13 November 2011 a Pakistani network was set up in support of musicians and composers at risk 15 November 2011 Pakistan: Under the censorship radar, anti-establishment songs flourish Using humour and satire, song writers increasingly enjoy a new sense of openness and freedom of speech in Pakistan nowadays, reported Times of India 02 November 2011 Pakistan: Bomb blast destroys music and video market in Peshawar Six people were killed and over 37 injured in a bomb explosion on 19 September 2011 that targeted a music and video CD market in Peshawar 21 September 2011 Pakistan: Broad instability spelled an end to art in Swat Valley World Policy Institute has published an in-depth article about the development for artists in Swat Valley since 2007, written by Shaheen Buneri 14 September 2011 Pakistan: Threats from the Taliban sends sarod player into exile Asad Qazalbash, Pakistan’s only accomplished sarod player, has left the country due to a declaration by the Pakistani Taliban that music is un-Islamic 22 August 2011 Pakistan: The Taliban’s war on music has done lasting damage It will take a long time for Swat’s musical culture to recover from the Taliban’s crackdown on music, reported Shaheen Buneri from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty 08 August 2011 Pakistan: Terror campaign by religious militants against Sufi worshippers In the sixteenth attack on Sufi shrines in two years, Taliban suicide bombers killed 49 and injured 93 Sufi devotees while they were doing music and meditation 08 April 2011 Pakistan: Anti-music militancy increases in the north-western mountain region The militants are targeting films and music and everything they see as obscene, and the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is deteriorating 21 March 2011 Pakistan: CD markets bombed - once again The bombings of CD markets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in beginning of February 2011 suggests that militants are again threatening the entertainment industry 24 February 2011 Pakistan: Singer kidnapped by religious militants On 26 November 2010, unidentified militants kidnapped Musharraf Bengash, a Pashtun singer from the Mir Ali area in North Waziristan. Later, a jirga negotiated his release 08 December 2010 Pakistan: Musicians and artists are returning to Swat Valley After a military operation against the religious extremists, artists are now returning back to Swat Valley in northern Pakistan, reported The Express Tribune. 26 November 2010 Pakistan: Music school closed after threats from extremists A group of religious extremists threatened Asad Qazilbash, a renowned sarood player in Islamabad, to stop giving lessons and remove the signboard for his music school 25 October 2010 Pakistan: Fundamentalists attacked a music gathering In the evening on 5 September 2010 a group of religious fundamentalists attacked a music gathering in Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 06 September 2010 Book by Salman Ahmad: 'Rock & Roll Jihad' Rock star Salman Ahmad desribes his encounters with angry mullahs and oppressive dictators who wanted all music to be banned from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 10 February 2010 Pakistan: Five injured and 10 music shops damaged by bomb blast Five people were injured and 10 shops damaged in a bomb blast on 28 January 2010 in a music and video market in the small town of Jand in Pakistan's Punjab province 10 February 2010 USA: Banned music showcased in concert series in New York A concert with the exiled Pakistani singer Haroon Bacha on 9 December 2009 marks the start of 'Impossible Music Sessions' in New York showcasing banned music 09 December 2009 Pakistan: Music stores are rebuilt in Swat valley In the north-western Pakistani valley of Swat, the Taliban's ban on all forms of artistic expression has been lifted, and culture now makes a comeback 04 November 2009 Pakistan: Marked for death by the Taliban Interview with an exiled Pakistani singer in the US who wished to remain anonymous out of concern for the safety of his family at home in Pakistan 24 August 2009 Pakistan: Lahore feels under siege Pakistan's performing artists face deadly occupational hazards. Lahore's music festival, and theatres across the city are bombed in co-ordinated overnight raids 31 July 2009 Pakistan: 800 music shops bombed over three years "No doubt this is the most critical phase in the history of our province," writes journalist Shaheen Buneri about the situation for artists in north-western Pakistan 09 July 2009 Pakistan: 'Musicians are in panic', says popular singer Musicians, singers, and other art performers are in panic. We are all at risk, Zeek Afridi, an up-and-coming singer fromm Peshawar, told correspondents of Radio Liberty 23 June 2009 Afghanistan and Pakistan: Understanding the Taliban's campaign against music Ethnomusicologist John Baily and Freemuse executive director Marie Korpe speak about the Taliban’s campaign against music and musicians in Afghanistan and Pakistan 23 June 2009 Pakistan: Singer shot dead by her brothers The popular Pashto singer Shamim Aiman Udas was murdered on 26 April 2009. According to her husband, she was killed by her own brothers 28 April 2009 Pakistan: Four men shaved as punishment for listening to music In Buner district a young man told that Taliban militants had shaved the heads and moustaches of him and three friends for listening to music in the evening of 25 April 2009 28 April 2009 Pakistan: High Court imposes ban on 'immoral songs' On 27 April 2009 the Lahore High Court imposed a ban on songs by two Lahore singers, deeming them 'indecent' and 'against the values of a Muslim society' 28 April 2009 Pakistan: 'Taliban have hijacked Islam', says Freemuse ambassador In an article published by Washington Post, Freemuse ambassador and singer Salman Ahmad and filmmaker Karam Pasha criticise the Taliban of hijacking Islam in Pakistan 28 April 2009 Pakistan: Music has died in the Swat valley Musical expressions are completely banned and ruthlessly discouraged in the newly founded Taliban state of Swat in north-western part of Pakistan 23 April 2009 Afghanistan: Afghan idol: 'My life is under threat' Lima Sahar charmed her way into the third spot of the 2008 version of the wildly popular 'Afghan Star' competition. Now in exile, she fears for her life 01 April 2009 Pakistan: University's musicology department threatened by student’s organisation The musicology department at Punjab University in Lahore has moved out of the university after a religious student group threatened with ‘dire consequences’ 25 March 2009 Pakistan/USA: Salman Ahmad: Obama should listen to Pakistani artists As the Taliban silence music in the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan, Freemuse ambassador Salman Ahmad denounces the Pakistani peace accord with the Taliban 13 March 2009 Pakistan: Harmonium player Anwar Gul murdered by militants On 15 December 2008, a group of musicians were attacked by armed men. Two days later at a hospital in Peshawar, the harmonium player Anwar Gul died from his wounds 16 February 2009 Sardar Yousafzai Audio interview with the popular Pashtun singer Sardar Yousafzai who on 15 December 2008 was attacked by unidentified militants 04 February 2009 Human Rights for Musicians – Impressions & Descriptions: Salman Ahmad Testimonial by Salman Ahmad in the anniversary publication 'Human Rights for Musicians - Ten Years With Freemuse' 30 January 2009 Gulzar Alam Audio interview with the popular Pashtun singer Gulzar Alam who escaped an attack on his life on 16 October 2008 26 January 2009 Pakistan: Taliban kill dancer in Swat valley Shabana, one of Pakistan's celebrated dancers, was shot dead on 2 January 2009 after defying the Taliban's ban on music and dance 15 January 2009 North-west Pakistan: Jihadi hymns replace music The rapidly growing influence of the Taliban in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province has left the areas’ singers and musicians with few choices 29 December 2008 Pakistan: Musician threatened in Karachi Musician and singer Noel Jamshaid was threatened by unidentified persons in Karachi, wrote Minorities Concern of Pakistan 08 December 2008 Pervaiz Akhtar Pakistani musician Pervaiz Akhtar, today based in Denmark, explains (in Danish language) about his personal experiences with music censorship in Pakistan 29 October 2008 Pakistan: Death threats from the Taliban made singer flee his country Haroon Bacha, a 36-year-old Pashtun singer, fled his homeland and is now in the US where he is doing performances, reported New York Times on 12 October 2008 20 October 2008 Pakistan: 'The Miscreants' - The popular culture of war in Pakistan Documentary and fiction is mixed in this film by Australian director George Gittoes who based himself in Peshawar for six months to talk to religious leaders of the region 20 October 2008 Pakistan: Music breaks chains in North West Pakistan The melody of Pashto music that has been in chains for the last five years has now found a way to bless the hearts of its lovers with a renewed zeal and life 21 May 2008 Pakistan: Music and militancy in the frontier (radio report) This radio report tells about religious militants' attacks on music centres, and the reactions from the owners of the music business in Swat Valley of North-West Pakistan. 25 February 2008 Pakistan: Musicians and singers live in danger A complete ban on all singing and dancing has been implemented in Mingora city in northern Pakistan. The singers and dancers have been thrown out of business 13 December 2007 Pakistan: String of bomb attacks on CD shops across the northwest province Religious militants have blown up numerous music shops in the northwest region. On 9 October in Peshawar a bomb blast damaged almost all 40 shops in Hussain CD market 11 October 2007 Pakistan: Attack on hotel where music was played Dozens of local Taliban extremists attacked and ransacked a hotel in Mingora in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province, because people were dancing and playing music there 18 September 2007 Pakistan: Taliban group issues new ban on sale of music If you sell music CDs and cassettes in Zargari and other areas in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, you will now be fined 50,000 rupees 23 August 2007 Pakistan: Religious music prohibition discussed in popular movie Feature film about a musician who gets inspired by a cleric to give up music for religious reasons became Pakistan's highest grossing movie of all time 06 August 2007 Pakistan: Religious extremists destroyed 25 music shops In June 2007 alone, there were more than 20 bomb attacks on music shops in north-west Pakistan. On 4 July, five more music shops were set ablaze with petrol 04 July 2007 Freemuse: Religious fanatics a threat to music Freemuse presentation at the IASPM conference for popular music researchers from the whole world - in 2007 held in Mexico City 27 June 2007 Afghanistan: Music download shop attacked, two killed Two people were killed and several wounded by a bomb that exploded in a music download shop in Afghanistan's south-eastern town of Khost on 22 April 2007 09 May 2007 Pakistan: Intensified campaign against music Religious militants in north-western Pakistan continue violent attacks on property belonging to people who sell or listen to music 08 May 2007 Pakistan: Music business faces serious threats in North West Pakistan 1,200 owners of music centres have been warned by Islamic hardliners to close down, and on 21 April 2007, three more video and music shops were blown up by a bomb 23 April 2007 Pakistan: Religious extremists request radio to stop its music programmes Dera Radio was asked by unknown callers to stop it's music programmes because they are "un-Islamic" and "against shariate" 18 April 2007 Pakistan: Music CDs burned in the streets of Islamabad Emotionally charged religious youth screamed slogans against perceived immorality as they burned a pile of music CDs and cassettes in Pakistan's capital on 6 May 2007 08 April 2007 Pakistan: Fear and persecution follows Afghan musicians The fear and persecution which forced Afghan singers to leave their country now has followed them to their exile in Peshawar in Pakistan 04 April 2007 Pakistan: Islamic music prohibition discussed on Danish tv 'Our prophet was born to do away with music', a mullah from Pakistan's second-largest mosque was quoted as saying on the Danish tv-channel DR1 on 18 March 2007 19 March 2007 Pakistan: Extremists kill one, injure two in music shop attacks Extremist religious groups intensify their campaign against all forms of entertainment in north-west Pakistan. Attacks on music centres left one killed and two seriously injured 18 March 2007 Pakistan: Music and video shop blown away "Close within three days – or you will be blown away." This threat by the religious extremists became reality when a video centre was blown away on 13 March 2007 15 March 2007 Pakistan: Music centres threatened by religious extremists A campaign launched by a religious leader against listening to music has taken a dangerous turn in Swat Valley of North-West Frontier Province, reports our correspondent 10 March 2007 Pakistan: Fine for playing music in taxi, music shop attacked The Taliban in Pakistan's in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan are imposing a fine of 500 rupees for any one playing music in public, reports several news agencies 03 March 2007 Pakistan: Bus drivers threatened not to play music An organisation called Mujahideen Bajaur has warned public transport drivers in Bajaur region to stop the “un-Islamic act” of playing music in buses 28 February 2007 Pakistan: Music video about 9/11 censored The Pakistani-Canadian rock group Falak has been blacklisted on MTV Pakistan. Their song 'Yadein II' is deemed too controversial because of its 9/11 images 21 February 2007 Denmark: Focus on arguments against religious music prohibition Salman Ahmad visited Copenhagen in February 2007 to introduce the screening of the documentary film, 'The Rock Star and the Mullahs' 15 February 2007 Three films about music and Islam hit Scandinavia Pakistani rock star Salman Ahmad and editor Simon Broughton visit Denmark and Sweden in February 2007 to show three documentary films about music and Islam 24 January 2007 Freemuse.org: Focus on artists from the Middle East Watch the new video interviews on www.freemuse.org recorded during the 'Images of the Middle East' festival which took place in Denmark in August-September 2006 30 October 2006 Pakistan: Call for music centres to be closed MMA's member of North-West Frontier Province Assembly Zakir Shah has called for a complete closure of music centres during the holy month of Ramzan 26 September 2006 USA: Banned Musician speaks at Clinton Global Initiative Pakistani rockstar Salman Ahmad has been invited to speak at former US president Bill Clintons Global Initiative panel in New York on 21 September 2006 14 September 2006 Pakistan: Students protest against music classes Student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami intensifies protest campaign 13 September 2006 Pakistan: Two more music shops bombed Bombs damaged two music shops in a bazaar in Bannu in north-western Pakistan on 11 September 2006. Explosions damaging music shops are increasingly shaking up the area. 13 September 2006 Pakistan: Renewed ban on audio cassettes Local Taliban and religious leaders in North Waziristan on 11 June 2006 issued public notices that they will punish people listening to “un-Islamic” music 15 June 2006 Pakistan: Music banned in Pakistani province In May 2006 a pro-Taliban militant cleric announced a ban on music and video shops in the Hamuzai area near Miramshah, residents said, according to the Pakistani newspaper, Dawn 18 May 2006 Pakistan: Ban on dance and music in schools A ban has been imposed on social functions featuring dance and music, particularly Indian songs, in educational institutions, reports Daily Times 24 April 2006 Pakistan: Explosion destroys music shops Suspected Islamic militants planted explosive material near a music shop in the center of the bazaar in Tanak district of North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan 26 January 2006 Pakistan: Festival defying Islamic hardliners The 10-day Lahore festival is defying Islamic hardliners but delighting the country's president with a vision of a very different Pakistan 02 December 2005 Salman Ahmad Video interview with ex-Junoon member Salman Ahmad about music prohibition among Islamists, and about music censorship in Pakistan 22 November 2005 Pakistan: Pro-Taliban strikes against music shops Music shops ordered to close down - threatened with bombs and violence 08 August 2005 Faiz Ali Faiz Interview with qawwali master singer Faiz Ali Faiz from Pakistan 01 August 2005 Previously banned music now flyes off the shelves in Pakistan Two young boys who had to play in secret because their music was banned by Pakistani fundamentalists, now are selling thousands of albums... 28 January 2005 Pakistan: Two South Indian dance teachers stand up to ban For the past 53 years, Indu and Tehreema Mitha have been doing the impossible in Pakistan: teaching South Indian dance to Muslim girls in a country where Islamic clergymen will not allow girls to dance 05 December 2004 Pakistan: Grenade kills four listening to music at wedding party Grenade thrown into a wedding ceremony at Peshwar, killing four and injuring 35 people. The guests were listening to music 15 October 2004 Clerics condemn Kashmir pop song Religious leaders in Kashmir have sought a ban on a pop song by two Pakistani singers. A line in the song, Kachi Pencil (Fragile Pencil), says God has written the fate of man with a fragile pencil 03 August 2004 Freedom of Expression Awards 2004 The Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards 2004 took place on 22 March. The Music Award went to Daniel Barenboim & Edward Said. The other nominees were Gorki Luis Águila Carrasco (Cuba), Junoon (Pakistan), and Ferhat Tunc (Turkey) 24 March 2004 Pakistan: The censored meet the censor In the BBC4 programme "The Rock Star and the Mullah", Salman Ahmad, guitarist with Pakistani rock group Junoon, meet the men who banned music 18 December 2003 Music provoke islamists on Pakistan campuses A film student at Pakistan's biggest university in Karachi, produced a music video for his final-year project. But right-wing Islamic students opposed to holding art shows on campus attacked the student's exhibition and smashed the computer he had planned to use to screen it 27 November 2003 Musicians claim police harassment Pakistani musicians living near the country's border with Afghanistan have complained they are being harassed by hardliners attempting to stamp out music and movies 08 April 2003 Junoon Audio interview with Junoon (Pakistan). Recorded in 2000 01 January 2001