The massacre of Shia pilgrims at the border between the provinces of Ghor and Daykundi, for which ISIS has claimed responsibility, has once again highlighted the issue of Anti-Shiism among extremist Islamic groups. This event occurred in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, a group that has repeatedly demonstrated that it is no less anti-Shia than ISIS. Shias, as a religious minority in Afghanistan, face severe discrimination and systematic oppression from the Taliban, while ISIS systematically targets them for massacre. The recent incident is the latest example of such ISIS crimes, occurring at a time when the Taliban have recently spoken about the absence of ISIS in Afghanistan. Whenever the Taliban make such misleading claims, one must be wary of the deadly actions of ISIS. This kind of brutal massacre is, in fact, a sign of the reappearance of a terrorist group that, contrary to all the false claims of the Taliban officials, remains actively present in Afghanistan, and the Kabul regime can never completely eradicate it. According to credible reports, ISIS’s influence among the Taliban has increased over time, not decreased. Unfortunately, the cost of the regime’s deceitful lies is paid by the innocent Hazara citizens. It seems that the Hazaras are born to be victims of the repressive and fascist policies of every government that comes to power in this disaster-stricken land. If Afghanistan is considered a country in disaster, the Hazaras are undoubtedly at the top of the list of disaster victims and war crime victims in this country. Even during the so-called Republic era, when people briefly caught their breath, the Hazaras continued to suffer from various forms of systematic discrimination and oppression. Alongside the discriminatory policies of the previous government, terrorist groups like the Taliban and ISIS would periodically carry out massacres of the Hazaras, which the government merely “condemned.
Now that the Taliban have returned, the massacre and repression of the Hazaras, whether in the form of open Anti-Shiism represented by ISIS or in the form of ethnic nationalism executed by the Taliban, continues unabated. This does not mean that the Taliban are not anti-Shias. What distinguishes this group from ISIS is its different approach to the Hazara Shias, where ethnic elements are more pronounced than religious ones. Although the Taliban, like ISIS, have not formally declared war on the Shias, their Anti-Shiism is reflected in their daily actions. The officials of this group systematically and organizationally promote Anti-Shiism. The Taliban have removed Ja’fari jurisprudence from universities, imposed restrictions on Shia ceremonies, and even prevented them. To the Taliban, Shia Islam is a deviant stream in Islam that needs reform. This is why the Taliban’s enforcers of morality hold reform meetings in Shia-majority provinces, urging followers of this religion to abandon “innovation” and embrace the Islam envisioned by the Taliban. Anti-Shiism among some of the group’s officials is so deep-rooted that they publicly excommunicate Shia followers.
Therefore, even if the Taliban were not directly involved in the recent massacre of Shias in Daykundi—which cannot be entirely ruled out, as the crime may have been carried out in coordination with the Taliban or by a faction of the group under the guise of ISIS—they have indirectly facilitated and encouraged it. We know that the Taliban play a pioneering role in the arena of terrorist activities, repression, ethnic-religious discrimination, misogyny, and hostility towards democracy and modern culture. During their war against the previous government, the Taliban and ISIS acted in many ways as allies and coordinated their efforts. One common point between both groups is their anti-Shaism, and even if they pursue this war separately with different approaches, their goal remains the same. Thus, ISIS and the Taliban are united in their Anti-Shiism, which demonstrates the dangerous dimensions of the ongoing deadly catastrophe in Afghanistan. Now that the Taliban are attempting to present themselves as pure and blameless, showing themselves innocent by “condemning” the ISIS crime at the Ghor-Daykundi border, we must expose their deception with all our might.
The schism and enmity between Sunni and Shia groups in Islam have a long history, and the tensions arising from this enmity among Muslims have often been bloody and deadly, leading to the deaths of thousands of Muslims. What has become increasingly alarming over time is the fatal spread of religious warfare among extremist Islamic groups, which continually takes a toll on Muslims. Afghanistan, as always, is on the list of victims of this war, and its people periodically suffer the consequences. However, the Sunni-Shia conflict provides numerous advantages and opportunities for state actors and extremist groups, amplifying their roles in the geopolitical equation. One reason for the spread of Islamic extremism in Afghanistan is the religious war initiated by regional actors in the country, which has resulted in Afghan citizens falling behind in modern and human culture, and remaining economically and politically dependent and helpless.
You can read the Persian version of this analysis here:
شیعهستیزی؛ جنگی که طالبان و داعش در آن متحدند | روزنامه ۸صبح
