With the approach of Ashura, the Taliban have imposed a series of restrictions on how Shia mourning ceremonies are conducted. According to these restrictions, the installation of special gates and flags for Muharram on the streets, the opening of water stations for passersby, and the movement of mourning groups from one congregation hall to another at night have been banned by the Taliban. Additionally, the Taliban have prohibited the holding of any religious ceremonies by Shia followers in public places. In discussions with Shia religious councils in Kabul and other provinces, the Taliban have explained that some of these restrictions are in place to ensure the safety of Muharram mourners. However, Shia followers in the country view these restrictions as a result of the Taliban’s discrimination against Shias, noting that the group does not respect religious freedoms. They believe the Taliban are trying to further restrict the space for Shia followers in the country. Despite this, the Shia religious council in Afghanistan has not publicly reacted to the Taliban’s restrictions on Muharram ceremonies. The council has requested that the Taliban only ensure the security of Shia religious sites.
Murad Ali, a resident of the Dasht-e Barchi area in western Kabul, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily: “Security issues are just an excuse. The Taliban are trying to further tighten the space for followers of Imam Hussain’s school of thought. If the Muharram restrictions are for security reasons, what did the Taliban’s collection of Ja’fari jurisprudence books from bookstores and libraries have to do with security?” He added: “Our demand from the Taliban is to abandon religious discrimination and allow people to practice their religious and sectarian beliefs freely.” This Kabul resident sees the Taliban’s justification for the restrictions as a pretext, noting that two months ago, the Taliban collected Ja’fari jurisprudence books from bookstores and public libraries and removed the teaching of this jurisprudence from university curricula.
Additionally, Maqbool Hussain, a resident of Ghazni city and a Shia follower, said that the Taliban’s discriminatory behavior towards Shias is creating a rift between the group and the country’s residents. Referring to the first period of Taliban rule, he added: “I expected the Islamic Emirate [the Taliban] to have learned from past mistakes and not hinder people’s freedoms this time. But contrary to expectations, they have once again deprived people of their freedoms, including religious freedom, and do not respect people’s beliefs and faiths. The Taliban’s wrongful actions create distance between them and the people and damage the spirit of solidarity and mutual acceptance in Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, residents of Herat reported that Taliban members have collected flags related to mourning ceremonies in Shia-populated areas from the streets and houses. According to them, officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice have warned residents that they have no right to do such things. It has also been reported that the Taliban arrested two Herat residents for installing special Muharram flags.
Shia religious scholars are calling for the lifting of restrictions on Shia followers during Muharram. One of the scholars, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Before Muharram began, a series of meetings were held by the Taliban’s commissions, police departments, intelligence, and security agencies with the Shia community. The current rulers do not openly state that they are restricting your religious freedoms, but in practice, they have said that Muharram mourning programs must be held inside mosques, and no one has the right to appear in the streets with Ashura symbols or mourning attire.” He added: “In general, religious freedoms are facing significant restrictions, and we hope this environment will break, and we can trust each other. The Taliban should allow Muslims to mourn freely on Ashura, so the messages of the Ashura movement can be conveyed to everyone, and the unity, solidarity, and religious brotherhood expected from Ashura can be realized throughout the country.”
All this is happening as the first ten days of Muharram (1403 Hijri Calendar Year) have begun, and Shia followers in Kabul and many provinces have started their mourning ceremonies. However, the Taliban have communicated the restrictions on these ceremonies to Shia scholars. A member of the Shia Scholars Council in Ghazni noted that local Taliban officials in the province have warned mourners to refrain from gathering in groups on the streets and installing flags in public places. He stated that mourning groups have been prohibited from moving from one place to another, even within Shia-populated areas, at night.
Furthermore, sources in Kabul reported that Taliban officials, in a meeting with the leadership of the Afghanistan Shia Scholars Council, stated that the establishment of water stations on public roads, the installation of special Muharram gates and flags in the city, and any kind of ceremonies and religious symbols’ presence in public places during this month are prohibited. The Taliban have also ordered that mourners should not broadcast mourning songs through the loudspeakers of mosques and congregation halls, as they claim this action disturbs residents. The leadership of the Afghanistan Shia Scholars Council has not issued any public reaction in this regard. The council, in a press release published on Saturday, July 6, called on the Taliban to ensure the security of religious sites and Muharram mourning ceremonies. The council also urged congregation hall officials to cooperate with Taliban security forces in maintaining order and security and to be vigilant about suspicious activities.
Shia followers in Afghanistan enjoyed the necessary freedoms to conduct Muharram mourning ceremonies during the two decades of the republic system. These citizens would install religious gates and flags at various points in the capital and provinces with the arrival of Muharram, and mourning groups would freely roam the cities. Additionally, water stations were set up on the roads, and Shia mourners distributed sherbet, milk, and other drinks to both Shia and Sunni passersby. However, these freedoms have gradually been restricted by the Taliban over the past three years. The Taliban claim that holding mourning ceremonies in the city both inconveniences citizens and compromises the security and safety of mourners. Last year, Taliban forces resorted to violence to prevent mourning groups from roaming in Kabul and Ghazni cities. Images circulated on social media showed Taliban forces in Dasht-e Barchi, a Shia-populated area in Kabul, beating mourners with iron swords and leather whips. Additionally, mourners confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that Taliban members in Ghazni city fired shots to disperse mourning groups, resulting in at least four deaths and seven injuries, including a 12-year-old child.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
طالبان و ادامه سلب آزادیهای مذهبی؛ عزاداران محرم از وضع محدودیتها شکایت دارند | روزنامه ۸صبح
