RASC News Agency: Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, has issued a directive ordering the group’s intelligence service to identify and block foreign funding streams for the “Ahl-e-Hadith” (Salafi) community in Kunar province. The edict mandates that Salafis be barred from employment in government roles and removed from any existing positions within state institutions.
According to a leaked copy of this order, Mullah Hibatullah has specifically instructed Taliban intelligence officials to halt foreign financial support directed to Salafi religious schools in Kunar. Additionally, the directive stresses the importance of preventing “non-conformist” groups from gaining influence within government structures. Taliban military courts have also been tasked with investigating alleged killings linked to these conflicts, underscoring the strict control the Taliban intends to impose over the region.
The directive further calls upon the judiciary and the Ministry of Guidance, Hajj, and Religious Endowments to prioritize “conformist” scholars over Salafis when appointing religious leaders in Kunar’s state agencies. Taliban intelligence leadership has also been ordered to select a “strong, conformist” figure to head intelligence operations in the province. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education has been instructed to establish licensed schools in Kunar, monitor unlicensed Salafi schools, and halt any foreign financial flows to these institutions. The Ministry of Interior is to complete its reorganization within Kunar, barring Salafis from any positions and promptly removing any individuals identified as non-compliant.
Local Taliban sources report that the terms “conformist” and “non-conformist” have become common references to religious alignment within Kunar, where Salafis are often linked to ISIS. The Taliban suspect Salafi groups of promoting the ISIS agenda, while Salafi leaders accuse the Taliban of failing to fully enforce Quranic and Hadith teachings, condemning them for blind adherence. To curb ISIS influence, the Taliban have imposed restrictions on Salafi religious institutions throughout Kunar. Known for its significant Salafi presence, Kunar has witnessed a series of targeted killings of prominent Salafi figures in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan in recent years allegedly orchestrated by the Taliban to consolidate control and deter insurgency in the region.
