Several Shia Muslims in Afghanistan say that nearly five years into Taliban rule, religious restrictions on their community have gradually intensified. According to them, these restrictions now extend beyond Muharram mourning ceremonies and have come to encompass shrines, religious rituals, and even certain matters of jurisprudence. These Shia Muslims add that the Taliban impose restrictions on Muharram observances every year, take down mourning banners from homes, and, in some cases, detain those who resist such measures.
Several other Shia Muslims, speaking with Hasht-e Subh Daily, say the Taliban have also intervened in how prayers are performed in some areas, asking residents to pray according to the Sunni school of jurisprudence. According to them, these restrictions are not confined to religious ceremonies but also target certain traditions and religious beliefs of the Shia community. These citizens believe that such measures reflect an effort to gradually restrict Shia religious practices and identity. They warn that the continuation of this trend could further curtail religious freedom and increase pressure on followers of the Shia faith.
Shia Muslims also emphasize that this situation has spread anxiety and a sense of insecurity among Shia families. According to them, the persistence of these restrictions not only affects religious freedoms but could also have negative consequences for interfaith coexistence and the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
Ahmad Zubair, a resident of Kabul, finds the Taliban’s growing restrictions on Shia Muslims alarming. He says that even during years when there were threats of suicide attacks and bombings against Muharram ceremonies, Shia Muslims enjoyed greater freedom to carry out their religious rites. In his view, the Taliban do not show sufficient respect toward religious traditions other than their own and are seeking to gradually restrict the religious practices and beliefs of the Shia community.
The Kabul resident says, “In the past, although there was discrimination, no one placed restrictions on holding religious ceremonies. Shia and Sunni lived side by side, and on the day of Ashura, a public holiday was even declared to foster solidarity among the people. The Taliban have abolished this public holiday, which I believe is a clear sign of discrimination against Shia Muslims. Religious occasions such as Muharram, mid-Sha’ban, and Eid al-Ghadir were widely observed in previous years, but they are now facing increased restrictions.”
Zubair also says that at certain shrines, the Taliban oppose several Shia religious customs and beliefs and ask people to refrain from performing some of their religious practices. According to him, these actions have raised concerns among Shia Muslims about the preservation of their religious identity and traditions.
The Kabul resident continues: “We hold a belief in the cradle ceremony commemorating Ali Asghar, the infant son of Imam Hussein, which is set up during mourning rituals. At the shrine of Abul-Fazl Agha, there were also certain religious symbols that the Taliban have recently removed. At shrines, people are told not to kiss the alam, not to tie ritual knots, and not to perform certain acts, even though these are part of our religious beliefs and are widely practiced by the community. If these restrictions continue to expand, future generations will lose many of their religious traditions and teachings.”
Mohammad Arif, another Kabul resident, says that instead of strengthening religious coexistence, the Taliban have deepened the divisions between followers of different faiths. According to him, in some areas, even the raising of mourning banners has been met with restrictions and confrontation by the Taliban. He adds that in past years, people freely hung mourning banners in alleys and neighborhoods and held Muharram ceremonies, but many families now refrain from doing so out of fear of Taliban action.
The Kabul resident says: “A few days ago, one of our neighbors was detained for putting up a mourning banner. The Taliban had asked him to take it down, but out of respect for his religious beliefs, he refused, and he was arrested. This situation shows that we now face restrictions even on holding certain religious ceremonies and performing parts of our religious rites. Our concern is that these restrictions will gradually expand and eventually lead to a ban on the free observance of Muharram and other religious occasions.”
Arif believes that the Taliban do not have an accurate understanding of the Shia faith and, in some cases, react inappropriately toward Shia religious beliefs and practices.
Firouza, a resident of Ghazni, says that in recent months, in addition to restricting certain religious ceremonies, the Taliban have used local elders to ask residents to perform their prayers in line with the Taliban’s preferred method. She adds that these restrictions are not limited to Muharram observances but also extend to several Shia rituals and religious occasions.
The Ghazni resident says, “First, they closed our shrines, then they imposed restrictions on Muharram ceremonies. After Muharram, when we did not share their views, they would not allow us to perform the Eid prayer in our own way. On the seventh day of Muharram, the alam-raising ceremony was traditionally held in memory of Hazrat Abul-Fazl Abbas, but the Taliban now do not permit it to take place. On the Nights of Qadr, we also held vigils and observances, which they have likewise restricted. Under previous governments, there were no obstacles to these ceremonies, and we held them freely.”
Firouza adds: “A few months ago, the representative of our village was summoned and told that just as they perform the five daily prayers separately, we too must follow the same practice. This is troubling for us. Neither is our jurisprudence taught in schools and universities, nor are our religious books widely available. We worry that these restrictions will gradually increase and that, in the future, pressure to abandon our religious beliefs will grow. Every day, a part of our religious freedoms is restricted, and this has caused serious concern among the people.”
These complaints come as numerous reports have been published in recent years about restrictions imposed on Shia religious activities and ceremonies in Afghanistan. In the most recent case, broadcasts by Tamadon TV, one of the media outlets close to Afghanistan’s Shia community, have been halted by the Taliban.
Earlier reports had also emerged about the closure of certain Shia shrines, restrictions on Muharram ceremonies, and the summoning of a Shia cleric in Kabul for officiating a temporary marriage (sigheh). Sigheh is considered permissible under Ja’fari jurisprudence but is not accepted under Hanafi jurisprudence, which the Taliban regard as the basis of their judicial and legal system.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also expressed concern about the situation of religious minorities in one of its reports. According to that report, several followers of the Ismaili faith in some parts of the country have faced pressure to change their religion.
Ja’fari jurisprudence was officially recognized in the constitution and legal system of Afghanistan’s previous government for the followers of this school, but since the Taliban takeover, officials of the group have repeatedly stressed that the country’s legal system is administered based on Hanafi jurisprudence.
Previously, one of the Taliban’s anthems, performed by “Khoshnasib” and released through the “Islamic Studio” of the Taliban, contained statements against Shia Muslims. In one part of the anthem, the singer says: “The world bears witness that the Shia are infidels.” Several Shia Muslims regard this statement as a clear insult to their religion and religious beliefs.
Freedom of religion and belief is a fundamental human right recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This right includes freedom of belief, the practice of religious rites both individually and collectively, and the free operation of religious institutions. Nevertheless, human rights organizations have repeatedly voiced concern in recent years about the state of religious freedoms and the rights of religious and faith-based minorities in Afghanistan.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
نگرانی شیعیان؛ «از محدودیتهای روزافزون طالبان به تنگ آمدهایم»
