After seizing and breaking the cassettes, the insurgents informed travelers that music is forbidden by Islam, said Abdul Wasai, the government chief in Spin Boldak district, where the fighting occurred Monday.

The Taliban used the same claim to justify destroying thousands of music cassettes and videos while the militia held power from 1996 to 2001.

Ten militants had seized dozens of cassettes from travelers before the villagers attacked, Wasai said. The militants were also searching for anyone linked to the country's U.S.-backed government, but none was found.

Seven villagers and two rebels were also wounded in the fighting and police later arrested the insurgents. The rest fled across the nearby border into Pakistan, he said.

The militants had earlier gone to the village and demanded food _ a common occurrence in southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan, where the rebels are strongest.

It is unusual for villagers to launch attacks against the Taliban, especially in areas along the Pakistan frontier where there is a lot of militant activity and the insurgents are most likely to carry out reprisals.

The violence occurred close to the site of a Jan. 16 suicide bombing that killed 21 civilians at a wrestling match. It was the deadliest such attack since the Taliban was ousted and sparked nationwide protests against the militia.

While the Taliban enjoy support from some villages in southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan because of ethnic and religious similarities, many people are opposed to their hard-line policies, such as their ban on music and education for girls.

Fighting last year left some 1,600 people dead, the most since 2001. More than half of the dead were suspected militants killed in clashes with U.S.-led forces.

The latest fighting comes as international donors opened a two-day conference in London to discuss aid needs over the next five years.

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(Mixer Jaëxx) I feel this is one of the most powerful stories I’ve come across here on supportUG. I mean, we’ve posted news about Iran blocking any western music in the country, http://www.supportug.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=186 and about how the “youth” of Iran is defying the laws. http://www.supportug.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=189 But it seams that Afghan rebels has been blocking western for a much longer time. (Links at SupportUG.com if they don't work here.)

This story… this very f*in’ story right here… is so ‘freakin’ important. I mean, we all think of ourselves as “victims” because of lawsuits for downloading music for free and whatnot… but have any one of us considered what it would be like if people came in and destroyed all of our music just for the sake of having music?? We all would like to have some recognition for fighting and supporting the underground (which we usually don’t get). It’s sorta’ discouraging knowing that you’re fighting for music, knowing that most of the world will have no clue the hard work you’re doing. Now how do you think it would feel dying for music without people even knowing the sacrifice you’ve made??

These brave, proud and at the very least… bad ass, Southern Afghan villagers were not only fighting for their own freedom to listen to music, but they were fighting for other people; any travelers who passed along this village had music in their car / jeep raided. “The Taliban used the same claim to justify destroying thousands of music cassettes and videos while the militia held power from 1996 to 2001.” Talk about music oppression… I mean, how would you feel if you couldn’t listen to ANY music? (besides Naseem and GanamShah’s Greatest Hits)

This will be just another blip on today’s radar and will be forever forgotten. I can’t let that happen, so I ask all of you to remember what these villagers have done; what they have sacrificed; what they have fought for. Ordinary people from a small, economically-poor village took on one of the most feared terrorist groups in the world… and won. Seven villagers were injured in the attack, and one brave villager gave his life in the fight. The rest of the world may never know about these brave villagers who truly “fought for the music”, but they do not have to be forgotten among us.

I for one will never forget these bad ass Afghans, and I hope you all don’t either.

Oh man great story.....Rage On Afghans, stick it to Mullah Omar and his sick bunch.

Their fight should be an inspiration for all of us!

Mixerjaexx, I salute you for posting this glimpse of what OUR world/society could end up being like if we let the RIAA get away with things.

(Folks, if you think I am kidding, you are in serious denial.)

exactly, Afghanistan is being plagued by Talibans, and America is a victim of the RIAA.
Down with both (Talibans and RIAA), freedom for Afghanis and Americans.