Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the representative of the Iranian government for Afghanistan, has described the Taliban's refusal to stand for Iran's national anthem as a violation of diplomatic principles.
On Thursday, September 19, a Taliban representative did not stand during the playing of the national anthem at the 38th International Islamic Unity Conference, which was attended by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Kazemi Qomi expressed his objections on social media later that evening, stating that the Taliban's justification of prohibiting music based on Sharia law does not apply in this context. He added that if such a prohibition existed, merely listening to music would also be forbidden.
This incident comes after a similar occurrence earlier in the week, where a Taliban diplomat in Pakistan refused to stand during the national anthem at a public event. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the action as a diplomatic discourtesy, but the Taliban defended their actions, citing the inclusion of music in the anthem as the reason for their decision.
