RASC News Agency: In the wake of the massacre of 11 Sufi worshippers in Baghlan, Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has expressed profound regret over the incident. He underscored the ongoing persecution of religious minorities in Afghanistan. In a statement shared on his X account on Friday, November 22, Bennett described the attack as “deeply regrettable” and called for immediate action to protect the rights of all Afghanistani citizens.
Bennett emphasized that “all Afghanistani citizens are entitled to worship in peace and security.” He further noted the urgent need for enhanced prevention measures, protection mechanisms, and the pursuit of justice for victims. Earlier reports indicated that 11 members of the Sufi order were executed on Thursday night at the Sayed Padshah shrine, located in the old city of Nahrin district, Baghlan province. While the Taliban have claimed the arrest of several suspects allegedly linked to the attack, no group has officially claimed responsibility for the atrocity. However, some sources have directly implicated the Taliban, asserting that the group had previously obstructed worshippers’ access to the shrine and disrupted their religious practices.
This incident follows another horrific event in recent weeks, where 14 Shia individuals were executed along the border between Ghor and Daykundi provinces. That attack was claimed by ISIS. The Taliban, however, continue their agenda of enforcing absolute societal conformity across Afghanistan whether based on ethnicity, language, religion, gender, or social class. As part of this oppressive policy, the Taliban reject any interpretation of Islam that deviates from their rigid ideology, often resorting to violence and extrajudicial killings to silence dissent.
