Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s ambassador and special envoy for Afghanistan, condemned a Taliban diplomat’s refusal to stand for the Iranian national anthem, calling the act “meaningless.”
In a post on the social media platform X, Qomi wrote: “Citing Sharia’s prohibition of music as an excuse to disregard diplomatic protocols holds no meaning. If that were the case, merely listening to music would also be forbidden.”
The incident occurred during the 38th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, where the Taliban representative declined to stand for the Iranian national anthem. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was also in attendance at the event.
This is not the first instance of the Taliban disrespecting national anthems. Earlier, the Taliban’s consul general in Peshawar refused to acknowledge Pakistan’s national anthem, similarly citing the inclusion of music as the reason.
Following that incident, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Taliban’s acting ambassador in Islamabad and warned that such “disrespectful behavior” would elicit a strong response.
