Over the past three years, the Taliban have failed to take meaningful action to protect religious minorities and Sufi followers. Several senior Taliban members have repeatedly denied the existence of different religions and sects in the country. Sufi followers, in particular, have been consistently condemned by the Taliban and targeted in attacks attributed to unidentified armed individuals. Last Thursday night, 11 people were killed at the “Sayed Padsha Agha” Sufi shrine in Nahrin district, Baghlan Province. Sources in Nahrin, however, assert that the attack was carried out by the “terrorist group Taliban,” with no other party responsible for the crime. This incident has sparked reactions from human rights organizations, former government officials, and anti-Taliban factions. The former Attorney General of Afghanistan has warned that the Taliban will not only lead Afghanistan but also the entire Islamic world and the globe into a “maelstrom of horrific violence and unimaginable disasters.”
As part of their continued attacks against Sufi followers, the Taliban launched an assault on the Chishti Order Sufi shrine in Nahrin district, Baghlan province, on the night of Thursday, November 21. The attack left 11 worshippers dead, and the attackers also took the spent cartridges with them. A source reported that the victims were ordinary workers who had brought “shola” (a type of porridge) to the shrine that night. They regularly visited the shrine for dhikr (remembrance of God). The source emphasized that the Taliban were responsible for the killings, noting that no other group could have carried out such an attack in the village. A video from the event, provided to Hasht-e Subh Daily, shows the victims lying on their prayer rugs.
This attack has drawn strong condemnation from several senior officials of the former government, anti-Taliban factions, women’s protest movements, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, and UNAMA. They denounced the assault on Sufi shrines and followers, stressing that the spread of hate speech, incitement to violence, and the killing of followers of different religions are pushing Afghanistan toward a deep pit of extreme religious extremism and bloody sectarian violence. They warned that the takfiri sword threatens to eliminate tolerance and coexistence in the country, spreading fear and terror among the population.
Hamid Karzai, the former President of Afghanistan, condemned the attack on social media, calling it a terrorist act and a crime against humanity. Similarly, Farid Hamidi, the former Attorney General of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, condemned the massacre and held the Taliban responsible for it. Referring to the killing of 11 Sufi followers in Nahrin district, Hamidi accused the Taliban of “violence, hate-mongering, takfirism, and the killing of Muslims in mosques and religious places,” holding the group accountable for this massacre.
Hamidi stated on X (formerly Twitter): “Sufis have nothing to do with politics and violence.” He noted that followers of various Islamic sects, especially Sufis, had peacefully coexisted in Afghanistan for years. He further emphasized that terrorist groups with violent ideologies and “takfiri slogans” have entered Afghanistan and created a “bloodbath.” The former Attorney General added that the situation in Afghanistan is the worst among all Islamic societies, with the country, once free of religious and sectarian violence, now witnessing the daily expansion of violence and religious and ethnic hatred. He also stated that the Taliban’s rise to power was marked by “violence, hate-mongering, takfirism, and the killing of Muslims in mosques and Sufi shrines.”
Hamidi warned that the Taliban would not only lead Afghanistan but also the Islamic world and the global community into a “maelstrom of horrifying violence and unimaginable catastrophes.”
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) also condemned the attack on Sufi followers in Baghlan Province, holding the Taliban responsible. In a statement released on Saturday, November 23, the Front accused the Taliban of suppressing followers of Islamic sects and Sunni factions opposing their ideology over the past three years. The statement continued: “The massacre of Sufi followers, continuing the killing of Shia and other Sunni sects, is part of the targeted actions of the Taliban, ISIS, al-Qaeda, and their regional allies.”
Members of the Purple Saturdays Movement, in response to the attack, argued that despite the Taliban’s claims, the citizens of Afghanistan are not safe in their thoughts or bodies. Holding the Taliban responsible for the incident, they called on the United Nations to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the attack.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, condemned the attack on the Sufi shrine in Nahrin, Baghlan, which led to the deaths of 11 people. He emphasized that religious minorities in Afghanistan remain at serious risk. Bennett expressed his condolences on X: “The killing of at least 10 Sufi Muslims in a mosque in Nahrin, Baghlan, Afghanistan is tragic. My condolences go to the families. Religious minorities continue to face serious threats. All people in Afghanistan have the right to worship in peace. Prevention, protection, and more justice are needed.”
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also condemned the attack and called on the Taliban to prevent such incidents in the future. The mission urged the Taliban authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, prevent future attacks, and ensure the safety of the Sufi community.
These concerns come against the backdrop of continued attacks on Sufi shrines and places of worship since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. At least five such attacks have occurred, resulting in 113 deaths and 228 injuries. UNAMA’s report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan documented four targeted attacks against Sufi worship places between August 15, 2021, and May 30, 2023. Although no group has claimed responsibility for these attacks, the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) has taken responsibility for one.
In April 2022, the “Khalifa Sahib” mosque, a Sufi place of worship in Kabul, was attacked, killing 50 worshippers and injuring dozens. Another attack in Kunduz province targeted the “Mawlawi Sikander Sufi” mosque during Friday prayers, killing 33 people. In August 2022, a bomb exploded inside the Siddiqiya mosque in Kabul, killing a prominent Sufi preacher.
It is worth noting that Sufism has a long and influential history in Afghanistan. Sufism involves following the mystical and spiritual teachings of Islam, and seeking a closer connection with God through worship, remembrance (dhikr), meditation, and spiritual disciplines. Sufi followers typically gather at shrines to perform religious rituals, playing a key role in the cultural and religious development of Afghanistan.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
واکنشها به حمله بر پیروان اهل تصوف؛ کشتار و تکفیر کار طالبان است | روزنامه ۸صبح
