Taliban Minister Orders Poetry to Reflect Regime Values and Military Efforts

DID Press: Shir Ahmad Haqqani, Taliban’s Minister of Information and Culture, warned poets during the “Gol Arghawan Mushaira” in Parwan that they should not compose poetry on just any topic. According to him, poets must reflect the values and objectives of the Taliban in their works.

A Taliban statement added that the Deputy Minister of Culture explained that poetry should highlight the government’s activities and glorify the group’s military and suicide operations. Atiqullah Azizi emphasized that poets must express “the achievements of the regime and the sacrifices of the martyrs” through their verses.

The Gol Arghawan Festival, held for more than a decade on the Golghandi Hill in Parwan, was this year conducted under Taliban supervision as the “Gol Arghawan Mushaira.” The Ministry of Culture released only a photo of the event, following the ban on live images of Zinda-Jan.

These statements come in the context of the “Poetry Regulation Law” signed last year by Hibatullah Akhundzada, which bans romantic poetry, praise of lovers, and criticism of Taliban leadership decisions. The Ministry of Information and Culture is tasked with enforcing this law.