RASC News Agency: Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the People’s Unity Party of Afghanistan, asserts that the Taliban’s treatment of the Shia community is no different from that of their ISIS counterparts. Referencing the killing of a young Shia man in Herat, Mohaqiq states that the Taliban is attempting to suppress any information about the incident.
Previously, sources from Herat reported that on Thursday, July 11, Taliban members killed a young Shia man in Jebrael Township of the province. This young man was killed amid escalating tensions between the Taliban and the Shia community over Ashura rituals. Sources identified the young man as Habib, who was under 25 years old and a resident of Saydabad Jebrael.
Local residents reported that the Taliban later returned to the crime scene and deleted CCTV footage from nearby buildings. Mohaqiq shared a video from Herat on his Facebook page, showing Taliban violence against Ashura mourners. He stated that pressure on the Shia community in Herat has significantly increased during the “days of Muharram.”
Mohaqiq notes that, in addition to excluding Shia individuals from political and administrative structures, the Taliban has denied the legitimacy of the Jafari school of thought. He criticized the ban on teaching Shia religious studies in schools and universities, describing it as “dangerous actions against the Shia community.”
Mohaqiq condemned the Taliban’s behavior as a clear attempt to sow discord between Shia and Sunni Muslims. With the arrival of “Muharram” and the days of Ashura, the Taliban has launched a widespread campaign to remove Shia religious symbols, such as mourning flags, in various cities, including Kabul and Herat. In recent days, the Taliban has taken down Ashura flags in Jebrael Township and other Shia-majority areas of Herat.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the Taliban’s head of information and culture in Herat, called the Ashura ceremonies “heresy” and emphasized that “political and foreign heresies” must be prevented.
