The Council of Ulema and the Nationwide Council of Shia Muslims in Kandahar, expressing concern over the Taliban’s raid on the Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary in Kabul and the arrest of several prominent Shia figures, have called for their release from Taliban custody.
The councils, in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 8, called on the Taliban to respect the rights of all citizens without discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, or language.
According to the statement, the Shia councils in Kandahar said they expected the dignity and standing of scholarly and religious figures and prominent members of the Shia community to be respected in dealings with them.
The statement said: “We believe that public trust cannot be achieved through pressure and coercion; rather, it is built through justice, respect, dialogue, and respect for the rights of all citizens.”
This comes as Taliban fighters, on the orders of Abdul Hakim Sharay, the group’s Minister of Justice, have in recent days raided the Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary and the Council of Relations of Hazara and Shia Elders in Kabul and arrested several influential Shia figures.
