Music not a good thing?

Some people do not like music and I think that they miss out on a wonderful expression of human creativity  As a musician I think that listening to and playing music is a human right although I am certainly fussy about which music I like.

I am sure that music can be a way of making bridges between people of different cultures and religions and across language barriers.  I know that composers have been inspired by hearing music from distant places and I have listened to music that has instruments and musical ideas from more than one culture.  To give just one example of that fusion there is a band called Boka Halat that brings together musicians from Africa and from Britain.  I have listened to music from many parts of the world and sometimes I sing songs from Africa or the Caribbean or have a go at African rhythms. 

The supreme leader of Iran does not share my view on music's value and importance.  No, he does not agree at all.  He thinks that music should not be played or learned in that country.  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said,   "Although music is halal, promoting and teaching it is not compatible with the highest values of the sacred regime of the Islamic Republic".