Freemuse: Press launch: Afghanistan report launched in London

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AFGHANISTAN REPORT LAUNCHED IN LONDON

01 May 2001

On Tuesday 24th April 2001 Freemuse launched its very first report; "Can you stop the birds singing?" - The censorship of music in Afghanistan, written by Dr. John Baily.
The launch took place at London's Kufa Gallery in cooperation with International PEN and attracted quite some interest from the media; several BBC units, Associated Press, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and others were present.

• Welcome speeches by Mr. Moris Farhi, former Chair of International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee and Mrs. Marie Korpe, Executive director of Freemuse, click here

Read or purchase the report here

Dr. John Baily

Read the report

From the launch - photos by Jim Q. Holm/Freemuse

Left: tabla player Yusuf Mahmoud performing with John Baily.
Right: audience discussing the report

During Music Freedom Day 2008, governor Ata Mohammed Noor announced that he would try to solve the problem with the ban preventing male artists from singing at weddings

Afghanistan report Post Scriptum, 2003

Post Scriptum by John Baily to the report: "Can you stop the birds singing?" The censorship of music in Afghanistan

John Baily

Freemuse report on censorship of music in Afghanistan

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John Baily

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