Talibanin otettua vallan afganistanilaisia taiteilijoita vainotaan ja hiljennetään. Tarve kiireellisille evakuoinneille ja muulle tuelle on kriittinen, ja järjestöt vetoavat valtioihin toimenpiteiden toteuttamiseksi välittömästi. Kansainvälisen yhteisön velvollisuus on turvata afganistanilaisten ihmisten ja taiteilijoiden ääni, musiikin ilmaisunvapaus sekä maan musiikin ja kulttuurin tulevaisuus.
Suomen musiikkineuvoston ja Muusikkojen liiton organisoiman vetoomuksen ovat allekirjoittaneet norjalainen taiteilijoiden liitto Creo, Tanskan Muusikkojen liitto, Ruotsin Muusikkojen liitto, Britannian Muusikkojen liitto, Kansainvälinen artistijärjestö IAO, Kansainvälinen Muusikkojen liitto FIM ja taiteilijoiden ilmaisunvapautta puolustava kansainvälinen juristiverkosto Avant-Garde Lawyers.
Statement of support for Afghan artists and musicians
After the fall of Kabul in 2021 the performance of music was banned by the Taliban. Artists and musicians now live in hiding with very limited access to day-to-day resources. Some artists and musicians have successfully fled the country and are now in hiding abroad. These and the musicians who remain in Afghanistan are in urgent need of support.
The articulation of the voice of the people, and the future of Afghan cultural and musical heritage are in the hands of these musicians. They need to be empowered and given the necessary support to help them develop and grow. If we do not support these artists then we accept their persecution, the silencing of their voices, and the demise of Afghan culture.
The international community has the responsibility to support music, art and grassroots culture and to guarantee a platform for freedom of expression through music and culture.
We the undersigned music, cultural, and human rights organisations call for all nations to support the evacuation of Afghan artists, musicians and their families. Their persecution must be recognised as an affront to human rights and freedom of artistic expression and their collective voice must be heard.
20th of November 2021
- Finnish Music Council
- Finnish Musicians’ Union
- Avant-Garde Lawyers
- Creo – the union for arts and culture, Norway
- Danish Musicians’ Union
- Swedish Musicians’ Union
- British Musicians’ Union
- International Artist Organization (IAO)
- International Federation of Musicians (FIM)