Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, is the capital of the Taliban regime’s rule. Over the past five years, Akhundzada has issued all of his orders from this very city. The face of the city has also changed drastically, with security measures increased and restrictions on women, youth, and media becoming harsher here than anywhere else. Ordinary residents of the city acknowledge that they are compelled to make their appearance resemble that of the Taliban. At the same time, competition among Taliban commanders over mosque construction in this province has been unprecedented over the past five years. Dozens of mosques have been built in the city and various parts of the province, with the cost of construction for most of them covered by traders and local residents.
Several Kandahar residents say the number of mosques in the city and surrounding areas has increased to such an extent that in some areas, another mosque has been built right next to an existing one. According to them, the mosque holds an important place in the religious life of the people, and the construction of places of worship is not inherently a problem, but they stress that this should not come at the expense of people’s more basic needs.
Kandahar residents are also concerned about the future of the youth, saying that religious education alone is not sufficient for their future. Rather, young people also need training in computers, information technology, languages, professional trades, and skills relevant to the job market.
Hazrat Bilal, a resident of Kandahar’s first district, says that four new mosques have been built in his village over the past five years, and villagers who previously prayed at a single mosque are now divided among these four mosques.
He adds that compared to the past, the number of mosques is increasing across nearly the entire province, and that the Taliban have prioritized mosque construction above almost everything else.
Mohammad Afzal, a resident of Kandahar’s Chowk-e-Shahidan area, echoes similar views, saying that mosque construction is currently on the rise in both the provincial center and the districts of Kandahar. He says that if educational and vocational training centers were built alongside mosques, the younger generation could preserve its religious values while also keeping pace with the knowledge and technology of the modern world.
Mohammad Afzal says the Taliban have focused solely on mosque construction, and that millions of Afghanis from the public treasury are being spent on building and rehabilitating these mosques. According to him, under current conditions, there are other, more basic needs alongside mosques that the Taliban should prioritize.
Meanwhile, a reliable source says that in the past year alone, the Taliban have repaired 270 old mosques and built 350 new ones in the provincial center, the city, and the districts. According to the source, these mosques were built using Taliban funds. In addition, dozens of mosques have also been built in various areas by traders and ordinary residents.
A civil society activist in Kandahar, who asked not to be named in this report, says the construction of countless mosques is out of step with the needs of the people. According to him, there are already enough mosques, but the Taliban appear to be competing with one another over mosque construction. In his view, under current conditions, establishing water supply networks, building educational and vocational training centers, setting up computer and technology training centers, and creating job and training opportunities for young people are among the most pressing needs of the community.
The View of Religious Scholars
Some religious scholars in Kandahar also say that instead of excessively increasing the number of mosques, people should be encouraged to provide social services in other areas as well.
Mufti Abdul Razzaq Sehat, a religious scholar in Kandahar, says that building a mosque is a good deed and carries spiritual reward, but building a mosque alone is not what matters most. What matters more is that people actually use it for prayer and worship.
This religious scholar adds: “What need is there for a mosque that a worshipper enters only to steal people’s shoes? A person who commits a crime in the city first turns to crime to fill his stomach, and then goes to pray in a mosque built by the Taliban. The Taliban should first identify the causes of crime and unemployment and feed the hungry stomachs of the people, so that people do not go to worship on an empty stomach and can instead pray in a calm environment. Because worship is possible anywhere, but providing people with work and bread is difficult.”
The Taliban’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, the group’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Taliban’s Ministry of Urban Development and Housing have, over the past five years, spent millions of Afghanis on building mosques and grand mosques in various parts of Afghanistan.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
